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PRINCETON    •   NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Library  of  Professor 

A.  A.   Hodge 

1882 


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THE 


TABERNACLE, 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES. 


BY 

GEORGE  JUNKIN,  D.D.LL.D., 

LATE    PRESIDENT    OF    WASHINGTON    COLLEGE,    VIRGINIA. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

No.  821  Chestnut  Street. 


Entered  according  to  tlie  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

THE    TRTSTEES     OF    THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

In  the  Clerk's  OlBce  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District 
of  Pennsylvania. 

STEREOTYPED   BY   WESTCOTT   &   THOMSON. 


TO  THE   EEADEE. 


You  have,  in  these  chapters,  gleanings  from  a  field  in 
which  this  labourer  has  toiled  for  more  than  half  a  century. 
Four  times  has  he  delivered  the  doctrines  here  set  forth,  in 
the  form  of  lectures  :  first  to  his  pastoral  charge  proper; 
afterwards,  to  the  still  more  important  charges  successively, 
in  Lafayette  College,  Miami  University,  and  Washington 
College,  Virginia.  Each  deliver}^  was  accompanied  with  a 
careful  revision  of  the  whole  matter  under  consideration. 
Nevertheless,  these  are  reminiscences^  for  the  fortunes  of 
war  have  cut  him  off  from  all  his  books,  papers  and  even 
letter  files :  so  that,  present  labour  and  the  remembrances 
of  fifty  years  back,  are  here  presented,  combined,  and  con- 
densed into  this  little  volume.  The  tiny  book  is  a  com- 
pend  of  Christian  theology.  I  say  Christian  i\iQ,o\ogY  \  for 
I  have,  long  ago,  been  forced  into  the  conviction,  that  with- 
out a  diligent  study  of  the  tabernacle,  no  man  ever  ac- 
quires clear,  transparent,  and  practical  views  of  evangeli- 
cal truth  in  systematic  order.  A  few  things  you  will  find 
here,  difi'erent  from  commonly  received  interpretations. 
Prominence  is  given  to  the  central  point  of  the  moral  uni- 
verse ;  and  care  is  taken  to  keep  the  symbols  separate  and 
distinct.     My  views  in  regard  to  the  cherubim,  which  were 


4  TO    THE    READER. 

given  to  tlie  public  twenty-one  years  ago,  have  been  re- 
vised, by  such  aids  as  were  within  my  reach;  but  no 
material  changes  from  the  Lectures  on  Prophecy  have  been 
thought  necessary  or  proper.  Reference  to  other  men's 
opinions  have  not  been  made  Perhaps  it  is  due  to  myself 
and  to  truth,  to  remark,  that  Fairbairn's  Typology  I  had 
not  seen,  until  nearly  through  with  these  chapters,  and 
therefore,  it  can  scarcely  be  said,  that  /  dissent  from  his 
opinions,  even  where  we  differ.  Dr.  Newton's  excellent 
book  on  these  subjects,  had  almost  arrested  my  long  cher- 
ished purpose  to  write  out  my  views.  After,  however, 
reading  it  and  finding  some  points  of  difi'erence  in  minor 
matters,  I  came  to  Elihu's  conclusion,  though  for  a  diifer- 
ent  reason,  ' '  Therefore  I  said.  Hearken  to  me ;  I  also  will 
show  mine  opinion. ' ' 

Philadelphia,  February  1,  A.D.  1865. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

To  the  Reader 3 

CHAPTER  I. 
Introduction — Philosophy  of  Symbolization 9 

CHAPTER  11. 
The  Ark  of  the  Testimony 13 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Tables  of  Stone— What  do  they  Symbolize 17 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Mercy-seat — Its  Symbolic  Substance 24 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Table,  for  the  Bread  of  Faces 46 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Candlestick 60 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Incense  Altar 63 

1  *  5 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PAGE 

Tho  Altar  of  Burnt-offering 55 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Laver  and  his  Foot 61 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Priesthood  and  the  Holy  Garments 66 

CHAPTER  XL 
The  Tabernacle,  and  its  Court 78 

CHAPTER   XII. 
The  Symbolic  Meaning  of  the  Tabernacle  and  its  Court 87 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Putting  Up  and  the  Taking  Down 98 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Cloud  of  Glory— The  Pillar  of  Fire 102 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Farther  Symbol  Substance  of  Chapters  XIII.  and  XIV. — Organ- 
ization of  the  Church — Solemnity — Place,  a  desert — Divine 
guidance  and  support 108 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Holy  Anointing  Oil — Consecration  of  tho  Tabernacle  and 
its  Furniture,  and  of  the  Priesthood 114 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Relations  of  the  Truths  Symbolized — To  each  other  and  to  the 
grand  system — The  Shekinah — The  central  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tianity   123 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAGE 

Relative  Positions  Farther  —  Brazen  Altar — The  Ark— The 
Golden  Altar 133 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Relative  Positions — Laver  —  Candlesticks  —  Table  of  Show- 
bread 143 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Miscellaneous  Suggestive  Analogies — Sojourn  of  Israel — Bond- 
age in  Egypt — Forty  Years  in  the  Wilderness — Order  of 
March — Westward  Movement — Entrance  into  Canaan 149 


THE  TABERNACLE, 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Symbolization, 


There  is  no  immediate  communication  between 
the  souls  of  men  in  this  world.  Without  the  instru- 
mentalities of  our  bodily  organs,  we  know  nothing 
whatever  of  each  other's  spiritual  nature,  condition, 
or  character.  Indeed,  our  knowledge  of  seJf^  is 
equally  dependent  on  the  physical  organism  witli 
which  our  thinking  substance  is  connected.  John 
Locke,  the  greatest  of  modern  metaphysicians,  traces 
the  commencement  of  our  ideas  to  sensation  and  re- 
flection. This  has  been  by  some  misunderstood,  at 
least,  misapplied.  But  still,  it  is  substantially  true : 
the  first  knowledge  we  have  is  the  immediate  result 
of  excitement  in  our  nervous  system.  The  history 
of  man's  creation  implies,  first,  the  formation  of  the 
wonderfully  complicated  material  habitation  for  the 
rational  spirit ;  then  the  breathing  into  his  nostrils 
the  breath  of  life.     What  the  connection  is  and  how 

9 


10  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

it  is  formed  between  the  body  and  the  soul,  we  are 
entirely  ignorant ;  and  yet  there  is  no  knowledge 
more  certain,  than  that  such  connection  exists — that 
the  spirit  within  us  operates  upon  the  body  and  the 
body  influences  the  spirit.  The  mystery  here  lies 
in  the  manner ;  and  is  to  us,  thus  far,  inscrutable. 
No  person  doubts  the  fact,  nor  his  ignorance  of  its 
mode.  A  man  born  blind  and  so  continuing,  has  no 
knowledge  of  colours :  the  deaf  has  no  idea  of 
sounds ;  and  so  of  all  the  other  senses :  and,  were 
all  wanting,  the  mind  would  have  no  ideas  at  all ; 
and  so  could  not  engage  in  those  interminable  pro- 
cesses of  reasoning,  which  Locke  comprehends 
under  the  term  refleetion. 

Now,  it  is  this  mysterious,  but  most  intimate  con- 
nection between  soul  and  body,  that  unites  together 
the  two  worlds — the  world  of  matter  and  the  world 
of  spirit ;  and  makes  it  possible  for  us  to  illustrate 
the  one  by  the  other.  Hence  the  comparisons,  para- 
bles, allegories  of  Scripture.  Hence  the  multitudi- 
nous efforts  of  men,  in  all  ages,  to  embody  deity  in 
visible  form.  Idolatry  is  but  a  perverse  abuse  of 
this  natural  susceptibility :  a  vain  attempt  to  create 
a  new  medium  of  intercourse  and  communion  be- 
tween the  visible  and  the  invisible.  But  these  abuses 
constitute  no  valid  objection  against  symbolical  rep- 
resentations of  sacred  truths ;  such  as  we  have  in 
comparisons,  parables  and  allegories,  where  resem- 
blance of  relations  enables  us  to  make  plain,  spirit- 
ual tilings,  by  natural  things  more  plain  and   easily 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  11 

comprehended.  As  all  the  intercourse  and  com- 
munion of  spirit  with  spirit  is  through  the  medium 
of  our  physical  organism ;  so  God  has  been  pleased 
to  make  our  intercourse  and  communion  with  him- 
self, dependent  upon  material  media.  He  estab- 
lished a  covenant  with  our  first  parent  and  set  up 
the  tree  of  life  as  a  symbol  of  its  blessings  upon 
condition  of  his  compliance.  When  Adam  sinned 
and  placed  himself  and  his  posterity  under  a  dispen- 
sation of  wrath,  it  pleased  God,  in  his  sovereign 
love,  to  reveal  liis  dispensation  of  mercy  and  to 
guaranty  eternal  salvation  to  all  who  should  believe 
in  the  promised  Messiah — the  seed  of  the  woman. 
He  thereupon  instituted  bloody  sacrifices,  as  the 
outward  sign  and  symbol  of  the  cardinal  truth  in  the 
glorious  gospel  scheme :  thus  creating  a  medium  of 
intercourse  and  communion  between  the  redeemed  and 
the  ever  blessed  Father :  thus  for  ever  presenting,  in 
the  burning  sacrifice,  the  memento  of  the  promised 
salvation  through  the  death  of  the  Saviour.  This 
same  principle  we  have,  expanded  in  the  whole  ar- 
rangements established  at  Sinai ;  in  the  somewhat 
complicated  and  arbitrary,  but  yet  significant  struc- 
ture of  the  tabernacle,  its  furniture,  appurtenances, 
and  the  worship  of  which  it  was  the  centre  and  the 
medium. 

In  process  of  their  exposition,  it  will  be  best  to 
follow  the  order  of  the  sacred  text,  as  given  by 
Moses,  in  his  account  of  the  construction  of  the 
furniture,  the  tabernacle  and  all  its  surroundings. 


12  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

With  the  single  exception  of  the  altar  of  burnt-offer- 
ings, the  order  of  the  text  is  probably  the  order  of 
imjiortance. 

As  each  several  object  is  taken  up,  it  "will  be  most 
natural  to  give,  (1)  a  description  of  the  material 
structure ;  (2)  then  its  symbolical  substance,  that  is 
the  doctrine  which  it  represents :  then,  (3)  when  we 
shall  have  gone  over  the  whole  in  detail,  to  bring 
them  together;  (4)  note  their  relative  positions 
severally,  and  in  reference  to  the  whole,  as  one  sys- 
tem. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCOIIDING    TO    MOSES.  13 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Ark  of  the    Testimony. 

ExoD.  xxxvii.  1-9.  "  And  Bezaleel  made  tlie 
ark  of  shittim  wood :  two  cubits  and  a  half  was 
the  length  of  it,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  breadth 
of  it,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  height  of  it :  and 
he  overlaid  it  with  pure  gold  within  and  without, 
and  made  a  crown  of  gold  to  it  round  about.  And 
he  cast  for  it  four  rings  of  gold,  to  he  set  bj  the  four 
corners  of  it ;  even  two  rings  upon  the  one  side  of 
it  and  two  rings  upon  the  other  side  of  it.  And  he 
made  staves  of  shittim  wood  and  overlaid  them  with 
gold.  And  he  put  the  staves  into  the  rings  by  the 
sides  of  the  ark,  to  bear  the  ark.  And  he  made 
the  mercy-seat  of  pure  gold :  two  cubits  and  a  half 
was  the  leno;th  thereof  and  one  cubit  and  a  half  the 
breadth  thereof.  And  he  made  two  cherubim  of 
gold,  beaten  out  of  one  piece  made  he  them,  on  the 
two  ends  of  the  mercy-seat ;  one  cherub  on  the  one 
end  on  this  side,  and  another  cherub  on  the  other 
end  on  that  side ;  out  of  the  mercy-seat  made  he  the 
cherubim  on  the  two  ends  thereof.  And  the  cheru- 
bim spread  out  their  wings  on  high,  and  covered 
with  their  wings  over  the  mercy-seat,  with  their  faces 

2 


14  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

one  to  another ;  even  to  the  mercy-seat- ward  were 
the  faces  of  the  cherubim." 

We  have  here  an  analysis  of  the  ark  into  two 
parts ;  the  chest  or  body — we  may  say,  the  ark 
proper ;  and  the  cover  or  lid,  the  mercy-seat. 

First,  the  ark  proper.  Let  us  note  the  materials 
of  which  it  is  made — shittim  wood.  From  all  we 
can  learn,  the  probability  is,  that  this  wood  was  the 
black  acacia — a  species  of  locust,  which  abounded 
in  that  region.  The  term  implies  a  thorny  tree ; 
and  as  the  boards  of  the  tabernacle,  which  were 
twenty-seven  inches  wide,  were  made  of  the  same,  it 
must  have  been  a  tree  of  large  growth ;  but  of  what 
particular  species,  is  perhaps  a  question  whose  diffi- 
culty is  inversely  as  its  importance.  Of  this  the 
chest  and  the  staves  for  transportation  were  made. 
The  length,  taking  the  cubit  at  eighteen  inches  of 
our  own  measure,  was  forty-five  inches,  the  width 
and  the  height,  twenty-seven;  the  same  as  the 
breadth  of  the  tabernacle  boards. 

This  box  or  chest  and  the  bearing  staves  were 
overlaid  with  gold.  The  crown  of  gold  round  about 
the  upper  part  of  the  chest,  was  doubtless  an  orna- 
mental network  curving  outward  and  forming  a 
guard  to  prevent  the  lid  or  mercy-seat  from  slipping 
out  of  its  place.  Rings  of  gold  were  attached  to 
each  corner  on  the  sides,  through  which  the  staves 
passed  and  lay  continually  ready  for  use  in  carrying 
the  whole  structure. 

The  cover  was   a  plate  of  solid  gold ;   the  ends 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  15 

turned  up  and  wrought  into  figures  called  cherubim, 
with  wings  extended  toward  each  other  and  their 
faces  turned  inward  and  downward,  as  if  looking 
intently  toward  the  contents  of  the  chest. 

These  contents  were  the  two  tables  of  the  law. 
The  words  were  first  uttered,  in  thunder  tones,  from 
the  summit  of  the  burning  mountain.  Exod.  xx. 
They  were  afterward  delivered  to  Moses,  recorded 
by  immediate  divine  power  on  the  two  tables  of  stone, 
and  handed  along  ranks  of  angels.  Acts  vii.  53 : 
"  Who  have  received  the  law  hy  the  disposition  (into 
ranks)  of  angels  and  have  not  kept  it."  These 
tables,  prepared  supernaturally — without  any  human 
agency — were  broken  by  Moses  when  he  came  down 
from  the  mount — Exod.  xxxii.  19  :  ''  And  Moses' 
anger  waxed  hot,  and  he  cast  the  tables  out  of  his 
hands,  and  broke  them  beneath  the  mount."  After- 
wards, by  divine  command,  Exod.  xxxiv.  4,  ^'he 
hewed  two  tables  of  stone  like  unto  the  first — and 
took  in  his  hand  the  two  tables  of  stone."  In  verse 
first  the  Lord  says,  "  I  will  write  upon  these  tables, 
the  words  that  were  in  the  first  tables,  which  thou 
breakest."  The  statement  in  verse  twenty-eighth, 
"  And  he  wrote  upon  the  tables  the  words  of  the 
covenant,  the  ten  commandments,"  must  therefore 
be  understood  of  the  Lord  and  not  of  Moses.  And 
in  Deut.  x.  4,  5,  we  are  told,  "  he  (the  Lord)  wrote 
on  the  tables,  according  to  the  first  writing,  the  ten 
commandments, — and  I  turned  myself  and  came 
down  from  the  mount,  and  put  the  tables  in  the  ark 


16  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

which  I  had  made ;  and  there  they  be,  as  the  Lord 
commanded  me." 

Here  we  have  an  apparent  inconsistency  in  the 
Scripture  statements.  Paul,  Heb.  ix.  4,  says  of  the 
ark,  "wherein  was  the  golden  pot  that  had  manna, 
and  Aaron's  rod  that  budded,  and  the  tables  of  the 
covenant."  But  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Exod.  xv. 
33,  "  Take  a  pot,  and  put  an  omer  of  manna  therein, 
and  lay  it  up  before  the  Lord.  *  *  *  * 
*  *  And  Aaron  laid  it  up  before  the  testimony 
to  be  kept."  And  so,  as  to  the  rod.  Num.  xv.  10, 
''And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Bring  Aaron's  rod 
again  before  the  testimony."  These  show  that  there 
was  a  prefix — a  coffer  or  shelf  appended  at  the  for- 
ward end  of  the  ark  for  these  articles.  All  diffi- 
culty vanishes,  if  we  read,  instead  of  wherein,  where- 
upon, or,  on  tvhich,  was  the  golden  pot,  &c.  And 
this  is  allowable ;  and  so  we  have,  as  the  sole  con- 
tents of  the  ark,  the  tables  containing  the  ten  com- 
mandments ;  and  this  is  expressly  affirmed,  1  Kings, 
viii.  9  :  "  There  was  nothing  in  the  ark  save  the  two 
tables  of  stone." 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  17 


CHAPTER  III. 
The  Tables  of  Stone— What  do  they  Symbolize. 

These  were  made,  as  we  have  seen,  before  any 
part  of  the  tabernacle  furniture.  Their  history  her- 
alds forth  their  transcendent  importance.  No  com- 
pend  of  moral  truth  may  pretend  to  compare  with 
them,  for  glory  and  grandeur  of  origin ;  for  sim- 
plicity and  completeness  of  adaptation  to  man's 
necessities  ;  or  for  sublime  exhibitions  of  the  Divine 
perfections.  Such  an  illustrious  transcript  of  the 
moral  attributes  of  God  and  his  claims  upon  the 
supreme  adoration  of  men,  and  of  their  obligations 
to  one  another,  is  sought  for  in  vain  among  the 
records  of  human  wisdom.  And  how  should  it  be 
otherwise  ?  Who  so  fit  to  adapt  law  to  his  crea- 
tures as  their  Maker  ?  Who  but  Jehovah  himself 
can  reveal  the  perfections  of  his  own  being  ?  Whose 
right  is  it  to  dictate  law  to  the  moral  universe,  if  not 
its  Author  ?  But  Jehovah  exists  as  the  Elohim — 
the  plurality  of  persons  in  the  essential  unity.  Has 
the  issuance  of  these  ten  words  any  special  reference 
to  this  personality  ?  Certainly  ;  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  All  that  man  knows 
truly  of  the  Divine  perfections,  he  knows  through 

2  » 


18  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

the  teachings  of  the  second  person  m  the  Elohim — 
the  divine  Logos,  by  -whom  the  world  was  made  and 
without  whom  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made. 
It  was  the  voice  of  the  Word,  afterwards  made  flesh 
— the  same  Word  which  said  JLet  there  be  light,  and 
there  was  light,  that  thundered  from  the  summit  of 
the  burning  mountain  these  ten  words,  and  after- 
wards delivered  them  to  Moses  along  the  ranks  of 
angels.  This  will  be  evident  upon  a  comparison  of 
a  few  scriptures.  In  Psal.  Ixviii.  17,  18,  20,  we 
read,  "The  chariots  of  God  are  twenty  thousand, 
even  thousands  of  angels  :  the  Lord  is  among  them 
as  in  Sinai,  in  the  holy  place.  Thou  hast  ascended 
on  high,  thou  hast  led  captivity  captive  :  thou  hast 
received  gifts  for  men  ;  yea,  for  the  rebellious  also, 
that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell  among  them.  *  * 
*  *  And  unto  God  the  Lord  belong  the  issues  from 
death."  But  now  this  is  applied,  in  Eph.  iv.  to 
Christ :  ''When  he  ascended  up  on  high  he  led  cap- 
tivity captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto  men.  Now  that 
he  ascended,  what  is  it  but  that  he  also  descended 
first  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth  ?"  Thus  de- 
monstrably plain  it  is,  that  it  was  the  Lord  God  oui 
Saviour  who  ascended,  at  a  later  period,  from  the 
tomb  of  Joseph  to  the  throne  of  his  glory  in  the 
heavens.  He  it  was,  the  Man  of  Calvary,  who, 
midst  his  thousands  of  angels,  was  in  Sinai  and  dis 
pensed  this  law.  "  The  Lord  came  from  Sinai,  and 
rose  up  from  Seir  unto  them  :  he  shined  forth  from 
Mount  Paran,  and  he  came  with  ten  thousands  of 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    xMOSES.  19 

saints  :  from  his  right  hand  went  forth  a  fiery  law 
for  them.  Yea,  he  loved  the  people." — Deut.  xxxiii. 
2.  This  fiery  law  and  this  burning  mountain  con- 
sumed no  one,  for  it  emanated  from  the  gracious 
King  of  Zion.  At  the  very  interview  in  which  he 
re-wrote  it  on  the  stones  hewed  out  by  Moses,  "He 
passed  by  before  him,  and  proclaimed  The  Lord,  the 
Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-sufiering  and 
abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for 
thousands,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression  and 
sin,  and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty." 
The  entire  system  of  ceremonial  observances  is  evan- 
gelical— all  relate  to  the  gospel  scheme  of  salvation. 
"For  unto  us,"  says  Paul,  Heb.  iv.  2,  "was  the 
gospel  preached  as  well  as  unto  them." 

As  to  the  kind  of  stone  used,  we  are  left  even 
more  in  the  dark  than  as  to  the  wood,  and  therefore 
infer  it  to  be  a  matter  of  no  consequence.  Only  this 
is  plain,  that  they  were  fragile,  being  shattered  to 
pieces  when  thrown  from  Moses'  hands.  Nor  have 
we  anything  specific  as  to  their  size,  unless  it  be 
that  Moses  seems  to  have  carried  them  down  the 
mount,  Exod.  xxxii.  19,  in  his  own  hands,  whence 
we  may  infer  they  were  not  very  thick,  and  they 
could  not  have  been  more  than  forty-two  or  three 
inches  long,  and  twenty-six  wide. 

The  first  suggestion  of  a  symbolical  meaning  is 
durability.  Engraving  on  stone  intimates  perma- 
nency. Job,  in  his  sorrows,  exclaims,  chap.  xix. 
23,  "  Oh,  that  my  words  were  now  written  !  oh  that 


20  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

they  were  printed  in  a  book  !  that  they  were  graven 
with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for  ever." 
Then  he  proceeds  to  express  his  faith  in  the  Hving 
Redeemer  and  his  hope  in  a  glorious  resurrection  : 
truths  these,  which  he  washed  to  perpetuate  for  ever. 
The  first  tables  represented  the  law  of  God  as 
wi^itten  in  the  heart  of  man  at  his  creation  :  or,  we 
may  say,  human  nature — Adam,  with  the  law  cre- 
ated in  him.  The  breaking  of  the  tables  sets  forth 
the  fall  of  man  and  the  utter  defacement  of  God's 
law  and  image.  The  replacement  of  the  tables  by 
Moses,  and  the  re-writing  of  the  law  upon  them,  by 
the  power  of  the  great  Redeemer,  forcibly  illustrates 
his  entire  work  of  restoring  man  to  the  full  domin- 
ion of  the  holy  law,  or,  in  other  words,  the  restora- 
tion of  the  law  to  its  ruling  power  over  him  ;  or  may 
we  not  say  the  second  Adam,  the  pattern  of  all  the 
redeemed.  Such  symbolical  meaning  seems  to  rise 
up  before  us  on  the  surface  of  the  whole  matter ; 
and  thus  Paul  seems  to  suggest,  2  Cor.  iii.  2,  3, 
"Ye  are  our  epistle,  written  in  our  hearts,  known 
and  read  of  all  men  :  manifestly  declared  to  be  the 
epistle  of  Chidst  ministered  by  us,  written  not  with 
ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  ;  not  in 
tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart." 
So  he  speaks  of  "the  work  of  the  law^  written  in 
their  heart;"  and  Jeremiah  says,  "I  will  put  my 
law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts ;" 
and,  citing  from  Ezekiel,  Paul,  Heb.  viii.  10,  says, 
"  I  will  put  my  laws  into  theii^  mind,  and  write  them, 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  21 

in  their  hearts."  The  bringing  of '  man  under  the 
power  of  law,  the  protection  of  the  law  from  vio- 
lence and  profanation,  and  the  security  of  its  right- 
ful dominion,  is  therefore  the  grand  idea  herein  set 
forth.  All  around  it  is  encased  within  its  golden 
enclosure.  The  casket  indeed  i§  precious,  costly, 
and  beautiful,  but  the  jewels  it  contains  are  the  price- 
less treasure. 

In  connection,  however,  with  the  remarks  above, 
that  the  ceremonial  observances  are  Gospel  ordi- 
nances, it  is  important  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
legal  matter  of  the  old  covenant.  The  ten  words 
and  the  various  applications  of  their  principles 
throughout  the  pentateuch,  are  quite  diiferent  from 
the  sacrifices,  the  lustrations,  the  incense  burnings, 
the  ci'ties  of  refuge,  &c.  The  former  are  legal,  and 
whenever  separated  from  the  latter,  become  a  law 
of  works — the  very  covenant  made  with  Adam.  But 
the  latter,  coalescing  with  and  qualifying  and  point- 
ing out  the  way  of  fulfilling  the  former,  transmute 
the  whole  into  the  new  covenant,  or  true  gospel, 
which  was  revealed  to  Adam  before  his  expulsion 
from  Paradise.  The  Israelites  then,  as  nominal 
Christians  now,  by  neglecting  this  distinction,  con- 
verted the  very  doctrines  of  grace  into  a  law  of 
works.  For  example,  when  men  affirm  that  the  act 
of  believing,  subjectively  considered — ^.  e.,  the  action 
of  the  sinner's  own  mind — as  Ms  otvn,  is  accounted 
to  him  for  righteousness,  and  justifies  him  ;  what  is 
this  but  justification  by  works  ?     What,  but  the  old 


22  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

covenant  made  with  Adam  ?  Thus  the  Judaizing 
Galatians  converted,  by  perversion,  the  gospel  in 
Moses,  into  a  covenant  of  works  :  to  refute  which 
corruption  Paul  wrote  them  this  argumentative 
epistle. 

This  highly  important  distinction  explains  an 
otherwise  perplexing  difficulty  in  the  context  from 
which  the  above  quotation  2  Cor.  iii.  is  taken. 
Claiming  rightful  authority  and  instrumental  ability 
to  write  in  their  hearts  a  holy  epistle,  the  apostle 
disavows  his  own  efficiency^  and  imputes  all  the  suc- 
cess of  his  mission  at  Corinth  to  ''  the  Spirit  of  the 
living  God,"  who  only  could  write  "in  fleshly  tables 
of  the  heart,"  even  as  "the  finger  of  God"  wi'ote 
the  ten  words  on  the  tables  of  stone :  "  our  suf- 
ficiency is  of  God."  "The  letter  killeth:— The 
ministration  of  death,  written  and  graven  in  stones." 
But  how,  if  the  gospel  was  preached  unto  the  Is- 
raelites under  the  old  covenant  or  dispensation  of 
Moses,  can  that  letter  kill  and  be  the  ministration 
of  death  ?  The  answer  you  have  in  the  foregoing 
paragraph.  The  letter  killeth — the  law  of  Moses 
becomes  a  ministration  of  condemnation  and  of 
death,  only  as  and  because,  men  fix  their  minds  on 
the  letter  and  the  tables,  as  contradistinguished  from 
the  positive,  ceremonial  institutions  which  are  purely 
evangelical,  and  which  only  and  alone  are  our 
schoolmaster — our  pedagogue — to  lead  us  unto 
Christ  the  great  Teacher.  I  never  could  see  how 
the  moral  law  could  be  a  child's  leader, — (to  trans- 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES.      23 

late  the  word  pedagogue.)  It  is  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit  to  produce  conviction  of  sin ;  but  this,  of 
itself,  is  not  a  grace,  and  tends  not  to  draw  the  con- 
victed toward  Christ  the  teacher.  On  the  contrary, 
the  conscience  convicted  of  sin  only,  shrinks  away 
in  terror  and  dismay,  as  in  the  first  case — Adam 
and  Eve  hid  themselves  from  God :  and  Peter  said, 
"  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man :"  and  the 
demons,  "  Art  thou  come  to  torment  me  before  the 
time?"  But  I  cannot  help  seeing  how  the  gospel 
in  the  tabernacle  should  lead,  by  the  smoke  of  its 
brazen  altar,  the  light  of  its  candlestick,  the  entice- 
ment of  its  shew  bread,  the  odour  of  its  incense,  and 
brightness  of  its  Shekinah,  into  the  holiest  of  all, 
where  the  Lord  our  Righteousness  dwelleth  between 
the  cherubim.  It  is  only  when  unbelief  despises  all 
these,  that  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God, 
whether  preached  by  Moses,  David,  or  Isaiah — by 
Jesus,  Peter,  or  John — becomes  a  savour  of  death 
unto  death :  and  it  is  only  when  mixed  with  faith, 
it  becomes  a  savour  of  life  unto  life.  But  we  must 
proceed  to  the  second  result  of  our  analysis  of  the 
Ark,  without  which  the  symbol  is  incomplete,  and 
must  lead  to  the  very  error  which  makes  the  whole 
a  ministration  of  death. 


24  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER    IV. 
Tlie  Mercy -seat;  its  Symbolic  Substance. 

In  chapter  second  we  have  given  a  description  of 
the  material  structure.  Our  business  now  is  with 
its  typical  meaning  :  and  here  we  have  a  sub-analy- 
sis. Although  there  is  but  one  piece  of  beaten — 
or  very  pure  and  malleable  gold — yet  the  plate, 
or  lid  of  the  chest,  is  obviously  distinguished  from 
the  cherubim ;  and  therefore  let  us  treat  them  seve- 
rally. 

Sec.  I.  It  is  obvious  that  the  deposit  of  the  tables 
in  the  body  of  the  Ark  is  no  guaranty  of  their  pro- 
tection and  safety,  so  long  as  there  is  no  cover  to 
it.  The  precious  contents  are  still  exposed,  though 
nearly  surrounded  with  golden  walls.  But  place 
on  it  this  plate  of  solid  gold,  of  adequate  thickness, 
and  of  length  and  breadth  fully  commensurate  with 
the  chest  itself,  and  of  course  with  the  tables  within, 
and  you  complete  the  idea  of  protection  and  safety. 
What  then  does  this  shield  of  protection  physical, 
represent,  in  the  typical  or  symbolical  substance  ? 
The  answer  cannot  be  mistaken :  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  protector  and  fulfiller  of  law.  He  only  dcos  all 
things  Avell.     Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  right- 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  25 

eousness.  He  is  the  Lord  our  righteousness.  The 
law  in  him  only,  of  all  mankind,  finds  all  its  de- 
mands completely  met.  Universal  obedience  to 
its  preceptive  claims  he  only  paid :  and  here  we 
have  the  true  idea  of  righteousness.  The  law  of 
God  is  a  straight  line,  and  conformity  with  it  is 
straightness  or  righteousness.  Two  aspects,  how- 
ever, must  be  noted  of  this  fundamental  idea. 

1.  The  law  prohibits  certain  things  from  being 
done :  and  it  must  be  specially  noted,  that  the  dec- 
alogue presents  law  to  us  in  the  negative  form 
chiefly ;  eight  of  the  ten  commandments  are  formal 
negations,  yet  involving  substantial  affirmatives.  A 
ninth  also,  viz.,  the  fourth  commandment,  is  largely 
a  negation.  The  fifth  alone  is  purely  affirmative. 
In  this  form  our  Redeemer  fulfilled  all  law:  he  did 
no  evil,  nor  was  guile  found  in  his  mouth;  and  the 
wretched  magistrate  who  handed  him  over  to  execu- 
tion, washing  his  hands,  said,  "  I  am  pure  from  the 
blood  of  this  innocent  person — take  ye  him  and  cru- 
cify him,  for  I  find  no  fault  in  him." 

2.  But  the  divine  law  is  not  a  mere  negation. 
Eternal  rewards  are  not  held  out  to  inaction.  The 
servant  who  hid  his  Lord's  money  and  returned  it 
to  him  on  his  return  home,  was  not  rewarded  for 
his  negative  inaction ;  but  he  was  punished — "  cast 
ye  the  unprofitable  servant  into  outer  darkness." 
Law  is  positive.  It  requires  active  exercise  of  all 
the  talents  bestowed,  and  it  exhibits  positive  benefits 
as  the  rewards  of  active  obedience.     Thus  did  our 

3 


26  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Redeemer  fulfil  law.  The  only  positive  word  of  the 
ten,  he  observed  rigidly — he  was  obedient  to  his 
parents  until  he  began  to  be  about  thirty  years  of 
age.  Equally  full  and  complete  was  his  compliance 
with  all  positive  requirements  of  law.  Malignant 
ingenuity  put  forth  its  utmost  efforts  to  prove  against 
him  sinful  omission  or  commission,  but  in  vain.  He 
stands  perfect  in  rectitude  on  the  very  records  of 
the  court  that  handed  him  over  to  the  executioners. 
As  is  the  Mercy-seat  to  the  material  substance  of 
the  tables,  so  is  Christ  to  the  moral  and  spiritual 
substance  of  the  inscribed  law. 

Now  it  is  exceedingly  important  to  the  right  un- 
derstanding of  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tianity— the  article  of  a  standing  church,  as  Luther 
called  it,  for  us  to  bear  in  mind,  that  the  tables  re- 
cord no  penalty,  but  simply  precepts.  True  it  is, 
all  command  of  authority  implies  penal  sanction,  in 
case  of  disobedience ;  and  the  Redeemer  of  lost  men 
is  under  covenant  engagements,  voluntarily  entered 
into,  to  meet  the  penal  requirements  of  the  divine 
law  against  those  whom  he  redeems :  but  this  Ark 
of  the  testimony  is  not  the  symbol  representation 
of  that  idea.  Another  symbol  is  provided,  as  we 
shall  see,  to  shadow  forth  the  indispensable  requi- 
site. Here  we  have  the  one  grand  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification set  forth.  Positive  compliance  w^th  all 
the  positive,  actual  demands  of  law  is  here  most 
beautifully  set  forth.  To  such  obedience,  full  and 
perfect,  and  to  this  alone  is  promised  life,  happiness, 


TilE    GUSl'EL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  27 

heaven,  as  a  reward.  Penal  suffering  is  not  meri- 
torious of  happiness,  as  we  shall  see  when  we  come  to 
treat  of  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings.  It  is  active  holy 
obedience — righteousness,  that  God  always  rewards 
with  life  and  blessedness :  and  this  is  the  fundamental 
principle  of  the  divine  government.  Deny  this,  and 
you  lose  the  very  conception  of  such  government. 
Holy  action  shall  be  rewarded ;  unholy  action  shall 
be  punished.  But  perfect  holy  action, — obedience 
to  the  divine  law — righteousness,  has  been  lost,  as 
to  all  men  by  nature,  and  is  nowhere  to  be  found, 
but  only  in  the  divine  Man  :  and  this  is  passed  over, 
legally  accredited,  in  the  scheme  of  salvation,  to  all 
that  believe.  "  But  now  the  righteousness  of  God 
without  the  law  [the  moral  law  as  fulfilled  by  man] 
is  manifested ;  being  witnessed  by  the  law  [the  cer- 
emonial law  of  Moses]  and  the  prophets ;  even  the 
righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ  unto  all  and  upon  all  that  believe ;  for  there 
is  no  difference."  Bom.  iii.  21,  22;  and  ver.  26. 
"  To  declare  at  this  time  his  righteousness :  that  he 
might  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth 
in  Jesus."  Thus,  the  Mercy-seat  proclaims  the  ful- 
filment of  the  divine  law  by  the  gracious  Mediator, 
and  this  holy  and  perfect  obedience  is  imputed  in 
law,  and  is  set  down  to  the  benefit  of  all  believers, 
as  theirs  for  justification. 

Moreover,  as  justification  is  inseparably  connected 
with  sanctification,  we  have  this  too  symbolized  in 
the  Ark  and  its  contents.     As  the  letter  of  the  law 


28  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

was  re-written  on  the  tables  "  by  the  finger  of  God," 
so  is  and  must  be  its  moral  substance  "  AYritten  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  in  fleshly  tables  of  the 
heart."  But  of  this  we  shall  see  more  hereafter, 
when  we  come  to  consider  the  Laver  and  the  rela- 
tive position  and  order  of  the  doctrines  here  typi- 
cally represented. 

Sec.  II.  We  proceed  with  the  cherubim.  "  The 
generic  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word  cherub,  the 
plural  of  which  is  cherubim,  is  not  settled  with  cer- 
tainty. Some  critics  refer  it  to  an  Arabic  source, 
and  infer  the  meaning  to  be  7iearness,  eontiguiti/, — 
hence,  a  minister  or  servant:  and  thus  cherubim 
are  the  servants  of  God.  Others  deduce  it  from 
two  Arabic  words  which  signify  "  as  "  or  "  like  to  a 
boy."  They  are  most  probably  correct  who  form 
the  word  from  a  Hebrew  term  that  means  to  ride 
(raukab)  by  an  interchange  of  two  of  the  letters. 
This  is  the  opinion  of  Poole.  We  have  the  orig- 
inal and  the  derived  word  brought  into  immediate 
connection  in  Ps.  xviii.  10 :  "  The  Jehovah  rode 
upon  a  cherub,  and  did  fly."  With  a  very  slight 
modification,  the  word  here  translated,  rode,  is  used 
to  signify  the  car  or  vehicle  of  the  cherub,  in 
I  Chron.  xxviii.  18 :  "  And  of  gold  for  the  pattern 
of  the  chariot  of  the  cherubim,  that  spread  out  their 
wings,  and  covered  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  of  the 
Lord."*     We  are  not,  however,  safe  in  depending 

*  See  Lee.  X.  and  XI.  of  my  work  on  Prophecy,  for  a  more  full 
account  of  this  matter. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  29 

upon  remote  derivation  for  the  meaning  of  words. 
Use  is  often  arbitrary  in  modifying  it,  and  therefore 
the  safer  method  is  to  examine  many  instances 
where  a  word  occurs,  and  by  close  inspection  to 
ascertain  what  idea  the  writer  expresses  by  it. 
Thus  we  make  Scripture  explain  Scripture. 

In  pursuance  of  this  method,  as  we  cannot  inspect 
all  the  cases  in  detail,  because  it  would  occupy  too 
much  space,  and  would  become  tedious,  let  us  clas- 
sify them  and  take  up  the  more  important.  Thus 
we  find  four  notable  instances  of  their  introduction : 
viz.,  the  cherubim  of  Adam,  of  Moses,  of  Ezekiel, 
and  of  John.  Those  in  the  temple  of  Solomon  be- 
long to  the  Mosaic,  being  but  an  enlargement  of 
these  upon  the  Ark.  But  as  progressive  develop- 
ment characterizes  God's  works  and  his  word,  wis- 
dom dictates  the  propriety  of  reversing  the  chro- 
nological order,  so  as  to  make  the  later  development 
throw  light  back  upon  the  earlier  and  more  obscure. 
The  first  gospel  was  given  to  man  in  a  commination 
addressed  to  his  tempter,  "he  shall  bruise  thy  head" 
— the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  crush  the  kingdom 
of  Satan.  This  primitive,  and  obscurely  expressed, 
gospel  was  gradually  expanded,  and  more  and  more 
illustrated,  until,  as  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  it 
shone  forth  in  eJBfulgent  splendour.  So  with  the 
cherubim.  Very  little  is  said  of  them  on  their  first 
presentation  ;  the  account  before  us  is  more  full ; 
Ezekiel  gives  more  detail ;  and  John  comes  still 
nearer  an  explicit  revelation  of  their   appearance 

3  * 


30  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

and  symbolic  meaning.  It  will  therefore  be  advisa- 
ble to  begin  with  John,  and  carry  back  what  hght 
we  can  to  Ezekiel,  to  Moses,  and  to  Eden. 

The  name  cherubim  is  not  used  in  Rev.  iv.  6-9, 
but  the  description  identifies  the  Zoa — the  living 
creatures  of  this  vision  with  those  of  Ezekiel  and 
of  Moses  and  the  Seraphim  of  Isaiah.  Preparatory 
to  the  description,  we  remark,  there  is  no  creature 
of  God  exactly  answering  to  these.  They  are  com- 
posite,— parts  and  portions  of  different  animals  be- 
ing combined.  Nor  can  we  suppose  the  selections 
and  combinations  are  merely  accidental.  The  ob- 
vious reason  of  this  complexity  is,  that  no  creature 
could  furnish  all  the  properties,  necessary  to  symbo- 
lize and  set  forth  the  requisite  properties  of  the 
things  signified  by  them.  The  infelicity  of  our 
translation  in  the  word  beasts,  has  been  often 
pointed  out.  There  is  another  word  in  the  Revela- 
tion, translated  properly,  beast,  because  it  means  a 
wild  animal  that  lives  by  destroying  others — a  beast 
of  prey.  But  here  it  is  simply  living  ones.  As 
Christ  says  of  himself,  using  this  same  word,  "  I  am 
he  that  livetJi  and  was  dead  and  behold  I  am  alive 
for  evermore."  These  living  creatures  are  placed 
in  the  space  between  the  glorious  central  throne  on 
which  one  sat  that  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper 
and  a  sardine  stone :  and  round  about  the  throne 
were  four  and  twenty  seats — thrones  :  "  and  out  of 
the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and  thunderings  and 
voices."     The  position  of  the  four  living  creatures 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCUKDINO    TO    MOSES.  31 

was  upon  the  sea  of  glass  in  front  of  the  great  and 
glorious  central  throne,  and  the  encircling  four  aii-l 
twenty  thrones,  "  and  in  the  midst,  i.  e.  the  middle 
space  between  the  throne,  and  within  the  circle  of 
the  thrones."  This  literal  translation  makes  the 
sense  clear ;  whilst  our  English  text  is  unintelligible. 
"In  the  midst  of  the  throne."  If  the  four  Zoa 
were  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  how  can  we  con- 
ceive them  to  be  "round  about  the  throne."  But 
on  the  sea  of  glass,  in  front,  they  stand,  and  within 
the  circle  x'jx?.(ij  of  the  twenty-four  thrones. 

Now,  having  settled  their  position,  let  us  inquire 
into  their  characteristics,  and  symbolization. 

1.  They  are  living,  like  the  Master  whom  they 
serve.  "  I  have  set  watchmen  upon  thy  walls  0 
Jerusalem,  which  shall  never  hold  their  peace,  day 
nor  night."  (Isa.  Ixii.  6.)  "  Lo  I  am  with  you 
always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

2.  Perpetual  and  universal  vigilance.  "  They 
are  full  of  eyes,  before  and  behind."  The  true 
ministers  of  Christ — to  cite  from  Lee.  X.  as  above 
— have  been,  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  the  deposi- 
taries of  moral  and  religious  knowledge,  and  the 
channels  of  its  communication  from  God  to  man. 

We  may  even  lay  down  a  broader  proposition,  and 
affirm  that  they  have  proved  themselves  to  be  the 
eyes  of  general  science.  Literature,  science  and 
general  learning  look  to  them  as  their  great  patrons. 
Where  shine  the  beacon-lights  of  science  that  have 
not   been    kindled   by  tlie    tapers  of    the   church  ? 


32  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Where  is  the  unbelieving  philosopher,  that  does  not 
owe  even  his  capacity  of  traducing  the  ministers  of 
God,  to  the  literary  instruction  afforded  by  those 
very  men?"  Why,  even  the  celebrated  saying  of 
Jefferson,  "  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty," 
he  borrowed  from  the  Bible.  How  forcibly  is  this 
thought  expressed  in  the  symbol,  "  full  of  eyes,  be- 
fore and  behind?"  Where  else  did  the  Grecian 
mythology  get  its  Argus  with  her  hundred  eyes, 
which  Juno  ultimately  placed  as  ornaments  in  her 
peacock's  tail  ?  Of  these  ministers  faithful  and  true, 
there  are  indeed  sometimes  counterfeits :  such  as 
Isaiah  speaks  of  (Ivi.  10.)  "  His  watchmen  are 
blind :  they  are  all  ignorant ;  they  are  all  dumb 
dogs  that  cannot  bark ;  sleeping,  lying  down,  loving 
to  slumber." 

3.  Another  characteristic  of  God's  ministry  is 
courage — moral  heroism.  "  The  first  Zoon  was 
like  a  lion."  Whenever  the  providence  of  God 
called  for  it,  lion-hearted  courage  stood  forth,  to  the 
wonder,  and  often  to  the  vexation  and  dismay  of  the 
church's  persecuting  enemies.  "  The  righteous  are 
as  bold  as  a  lion."  "Mark  the  intrepidity  of  Paul 
before  Agripppa ;  on  the  Acropolis  of  Athens ;  amid 
the  tossings  of  the  tempestuous  ocean ;  in  the  face 
of  the  mob  at  Jerusalem,  at  Ephesus,  at  Philippi. 
Look  at  Huss  before  the  council  of  Constance  and 
the  pile  of  burning  faggots :  at  Luther,  the  lion  of 
the  Reformation,  *  *  ^^  *  where  can  we 
find  a  picture  of  greater  moral  sublimity  than  the 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  33 

heroic  reformer  presents,  as  when,  in  the  presence 
of  the  Emperor,  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  and 
nobility,  with  uplifted  hand,  and  eye  glancing  to- 
ward heaven,  he  exclaims,  "  Here  I  stand,  I  cannot 
do  otherwise.  God  help  me,  Amen."  Lift  your 
eye  to  the  Alps,  and  behold  Zuingle,  the  eagle  of 
northern  Switzerland ;  then  let  it  fall  upon  the  city 
at  their  base,  and  think  of  the  Paul  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. Read  Calvin's  letter  to  Francis  I.  a  production 
which,  as  it  issued  from  the  pen  of  the  first  scholar  of 
his  day,  stands  even  yet  among  the  very  proudest 
productions  of  literary  genius.  In  its  onward 
sweep,  let  your  vision  pause  upon  the  rugged  moun- 
tains of  Scotland.  Listen  to  the  splendid  eulogy 
pronounced  over  the  body  of  Knox  by  the  Regent 
Morton,  "  There  lies  he  who  never  feared  the  face 
oLman,"  then  pay  the  meed  that  is  due  to  the 
dauntless  reformer  of  North  Britain.  Truly  does 
the  lion's  face  represent  the  spirit  of  the  gospel 
ministry. 

4.  The  second  Zoon  is  like  a  calf  or  ox.  Patient 
endurance  of  toil  is  thus  represented.  "  Much  in- 
crease is  by  the  strength  of  the  ox."  Prov.  xiv.  4. 
By  the  uncomplaining  endurance  of  her  ministry  is 
the  church  increased ;  by  their  slaughter  is  she  fed. 
On  them  falls  the  stroke  of  persecution.  ''  The  blood 
of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church." 

5.  "  The  next  trait  to  be  noted  is  humanity. 
Afi'ectionate  sympathy  with  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  sorrow,  is  ever  allowed  to  be  a  quality  of  God's 


34  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

true  and  faithful  servants/'  This  is  symbolized  by 
the  third  Zoon,  which  "had  a  face  as  a  man."  This 
bespeaks  also,  intelligence  and  wisdom. 

6.  "  The  fourth  living  creature  was  like  a  flying 
eagle."  This  bird,  aptly  called  the  king  of  birds, 
as  is  the  lion  king  of  hearts,  "  by  the  elevation  of 
his  flight,  and  the  keenness  of  his  vision,  beautifully 
represents  that  loftiness  of  soul,  that  singleness  of 
heart,  that  quickness  of  penetration  and  prompt- 
ness of  action,  which  well  become  those  men  who 
minister  in  Gpd's  great  name,  and  act  as  sentinels, ' 
to  guard  his  timid  flock  in  this  wilderness  world." 

7.  "And  the  four  Zoa  had  each  of  them  six 
wings  about  him."  The  angels  of  the  churches, 
"  the  heralds  of  mercy  to  a  ruined  world,  ought  to 
move  with  rapidity."  Nor  would  it  be  easy  to  de- 
vise a  symbol  of  this  characteristic  more  expressive 
than  this.  Universally  is  the  wing  employed  for 
the  purpose ;  and  this  is  intensified  here  by  the 
supernatural  number ;  as  if  to  triple  the  motive 
power  and  so  the  motion  itself.  The  command  is, 
"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.  ' 

8.  "And  they  are  full  of  eyes  within."  These 
set  forth  the  high  conscientiousness  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  "  They  are  to  be  self-searching  men. 
They  are  required,  first  of  all,  to  examine  them- 
selves, before  making  a  tender  of  their  services  to 
the  Captain  of  salvation. 

9.  "They  rest  not  day  and  night."     This  surely 


\ 


,     THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES.      35 

does  not  intimate  a  restless,  uneasy  temperament, 
like  a  tiger  in  a  cage ;  but  simply,  their  incessant 
employment  in  their  heavenly  work,  saying,  "  Holy, 
Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is, 
and  is  to  come."  Here  we  learn  the  burden  of 
their  labours  to  be,  the  proclamation  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  in  the  unity  of  the  divine  essence ; 
for  the  phrase,  ivliicli  was^  and  is,  and  is  to  come, 
is  really  a  translation  of  the  sacred  and  incommuni- 
cable name  Jehovah  :  and  this  fundamental  doctrine, 
on  which  the  entire  edifice  of  gospel  grace  is  built, 
is  their  never  ceasing  song.  Reject  this  doctrine 
and  all  is  gone :  salvation  is  a  dream.  Retain  it, 
expand  it,  build  on  it  ;  and  you  have  the  entire 
system  of  evangelical  truth. 

Thus,  we  have  presented  in  these  apparitions  of 
living  things,  all  the  leading  attributes  and  qualifi- 
cations of  gospel  ministers.  The  Zoa  are,  in  our 
opinion,  symbolical  of  that  living  agency  by  which 
the  dispensation  of  mercy  is  carried  on  in  the  world. 
We  have  not  here,  indeed,  the  name  cherubim ;  but 
we  have  the  substantial  essence  of  the  thing ;  we 
have  the  slain  lamb,  between  the  Zoa  and  the  throne  ; 
and  we  shall  find  in  our  retrograde  movement,  indu- 
bitable evidence  of  their  identity.  We  shall  also 
see,  that  in  all  cases  where  the  cherubim  are  intro- 
duced, it  is  in  connection  with  a  dispensation  of 
mercy — the  issuing  forth  of  the  glad  tidings  of 
peace  and  salvation  to  lost  men. 

Ezekiel's  vision,  like  John's,  was  seen  in  heaven 


36  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

— ''the  heavens  were  opened  and  I  saw  visions  of 
God."  i.  1.  In  his  first  and  detailed  account,  he 
does  not  use  the  word  cherubim,  any  more  than  does 
John.  But  in  chap.  ix.  he  introduces  the  name  in 
the  singular,  and  in  chap.  x.  in  the  plural.  His  de- 
scription is  of  a  complicated  machine  or  car  of  tri- 
umph, and  is  not  a  little  difficult  to  be  understood. 
Without  entering  into  minute  detail,  our  purpose 
will  be  answered  by  a  general  statement  and  such 
detail  only  as  will  identify  the  vision  as  to  substance, 
with  that  of  John.  Taking  the  whole  in  its  unity, 
it  is  a  car,  bearing  a  glorious  throne  with  "  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  hkeness  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  :  " 
its  wheels  so  constructed  as  to  move,  hke  a  chair  on 
castors,  in  any  direction  without  turning.  It  is 
generally,  and  I  believe  correctly,  understood  to 
symbolize  the  divine  providence — the  machinery  by 
which  our  Redeemer  rules  in  and  spreads  his  church  : 
and  herein  it  contains  the  substance  of  the  great 
roll  seen  by  John  in  the  angel's  hand. 

But  our  concern  is  with  the  items  which  corres- 
pond with  the  Zoa  of  the  apocalypse  :  and  here  we 
have  :  1,  The  four  living  creatures  ;  2,  They  are 
full  of  eyes  on  their  wheels  round  them,  i.  18.  So 
are  their  wings,  x.  12.  3,  "They  four  had  the  face 
of  a  man,  and  the  face  of  a  lion,  on  the  right  side  : 
and  they  four  had  the  face  of  an  ox  on  the  left  side  ; 
they  four  also  had  the  face  of  an  eagle,"  i.  10.  We 
learn,  moreover,  that  the  general  form  of  their  body 
was  that  of  a  man,  v.  5.     "And  this  was  their  ap- 


THE  GOSPEL  AOCORDIN(i  TO  MOSES.      37 

pearance  ;  they  had  the  likeness  of  a  man."  They 
differ  from  the  Zoa  of  John,  in  that  "every  one  had 
four  faces/ and  every  one  had  four  wings,"  v.  6. 
Here,  as  in  John,  is  set  forth  the  four  characteristics 
of  the  faithful  minitti-y,  courage,  humanity,  patient 
endurance,  and  elevation  of  soul  and  purpose.  They 
are  perpetually  active  as  well  as  vigilant.  The 
brightness  and  effulgence — "and  as  the  bow  that  is 
in  the  cloud  in  the  day  of  rain,  so  was  the  appear- 
ance of  the  brightness  round  about,"  i.  28. 

In  short,  it  is  impossible  to  read  and  compare  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  New  Testament  prophets,  in 
this  matter,  without  reaching  the  conviction  that,  in 
substance,  they  are  the  same  ;  and  by  consequence, 
symbolize  and  set  forth  a  dispensation  of  mercy. 
Accordingly,  in  chap,  ii.,  Ezekiel  gives  an  account 
of  his  commission  :  "  Son  of  man,  I  send  thee  to  the 
children  of  Israel."  And  of  this  mission  he  gives 
an  account  which  runs  throuojh  his  entire  book. 

Before  we  return  to  Moses  it  is  proper  here  to  note 
the  seraphim  of  Isaiah.  Chap.  vi.  1—3:  "In  the 
year  that  King  Uzziah  died  I  saw  also  the  Lord  sit- 
ting upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train 
filled  the  temple.  Above  it  stood  the  seraphim  ; 
each  one  had  six  wings  ;  with  twain  he  covered  his 
face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with 
twain  he  did  fly.^.  And  one  cried  unto  another  and 
said.  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  is  the  Lord  of  hosts  :  the 
whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory." 

We  can  hardly  restrain  the  remark,  that  the  vis- 

4 


38  THE    TABERXACLE,    OR 

ions  and  prophecies  connected  with  this  triumphal, 
wheeled  car,  surmounted  by  its  brilliant  throne  and 
bow,  were  largely  then  future  and  are  still  future. 
The  restoration  of  the  Jcavs  and  the  wars  of  Gog 
and  Magog,  see  chap.  37,  38  and  39,  are  certainly 
yet  future  :  "it  shall  be  in  the  latter  days."  Hence 
these  wheels  and  wings,  indicating  rapid  movements 
in  all  directions,  represent  all  the  agencies  employed^ 
by  Him  who  sitteth  on  his  throne.  These  are  the 
days  of  church  extension,  of  Bible  Societies,  and 
missions. 

The  word  Sercqyld'in  signifies  hurnmg  ones, — 
bright,  fiery-coloured,  flaming  ones.  Their  office  and 
wings  evince  their  identity  with  the  living  creatures 
of  John  and  Ezekiel.  Jehovah  is  also  seen  upon 
his  throne,  the  seat  or  source  of  power,  whence  pro- 
ceeds the  ministerial  commission.  Accordingly,  in 
immediate  coiniection  with  this  vision,  Isaiah  receives 
that  heavenly  charge,  which  he  fulfilled  in  such  a 
holy  manner.  "Then  flew  one  of  the  seraphim 
unto  me,  having  a  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which  he 
had  taken  with  the  tongs  from  ofi"  the  altar,  and 
he  laid  it  upon  my  lips.  Also  I  heard  the  voice  of 
the  Lord,  saying.  Whom  shall  we  send  and  who  will 
go  for  us  ?  Then  said  I,  Here  am  I,  send  me.  And 
he  said,  Go,  tell  this  people  ;"  go  and  preach  the 
gospel,  and  warn  sinners  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come.  Here  again,  the  cherubic  symbols  are  -exhib- 
ited in  connection  with  the  delivery  of  the  ministe- 
rial commission.  .:. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    IVIOSES.  39 

In  these  three  manifestations  of  the   cherubim. 


they  are  seen  in  vision.  There  was  no  embodiment 
of  them  in  any  actual,  material  substances.  They 
were  simj^ly  ideal  representations,  made  to  pass  be- 
fore, or,  as  it  were,  into  the  minds  of  the  prophets. 
So  also  was  it  at  first  with  Moses.  The  patterns  of 
the  entire  tabernacle  and  its  furniture  were  exhibited 
to  him  in  the  mount,  and  so  vividly  and  indelibly 
impressed  upon  his  mind,  that  he  could  direct  the 
construction  of  them  all  in  actual  material  sub- 
stances :  "And  look  that  thou  make  them  after  their 
pattern,  which  was  showed  thee  in  the  mount." 
Exod.  XXV.  40.  This  is,  therefore,  the  only  in- 
stance of  an  embodiment  in  wood,  stone,  gold,  silver, 
brass,  cloth,  or  skins,  of  the  symbolic  cherubim,  and 
their  attendant  implements,  used  in  the  worship  of 
Jehovah.  Permanency  and  intelligibility  by  the 
people,  is  doubtless  a  prominent  idea  in  this  embodi- 
ment. 

What  then  are  the  Mosaic  or  Sinaitic  cherubim 
designed  and  adapted  to  set  forth  ? 

1.  They  spring  from  the  mercy-seat ;  are  a  unit 
with  it  ;  and  are  upheld  by  it.  Here  are  symbol- 
ized, (1.)  The  issuance  of  the  messengers  of  salva- 
tion from  the  Saviour  himself.  "All  power  in 
heaven  and  earth  is  given  unto  me,  go  ye  therefore 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  (2.)  They 
are  of  the  same  piece  of  gold  ;  this  teaches  the  offi- 
cial unity  of  Christ  and  his  ministry  ;  "  That  they 
may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one  :  I  in  them,  and 


40  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one  ; 
and  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent 
me,  and  hast  loved  them  as  thou  hast  loved  me." 
(3.)  Permanent  and  constant  dependence  :  as  the 
cherubim  rest  their  weight  on  the  mercy-seat,  so 
ministers  of  the  gospel  depend  upon  Christ — "Lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway." 

2.  They  have  the  human  form  and  face.  These 
proclaim  the  intelligence  and  kindly  sympathies  of 
the  men  who  minister  in  holy  things. 

3.  They  have  the  lion-face — the  courage  necessary 
to  meet  and  defy  danger  and  death. 

4.  They  have  the  ox-face — patient  endurance  of 
labour  and  toil. 

5.  They  have  the  eagle-face — symbol  of  intelli- 
gence and  lofty  aims. 

6.  They  have  the  wings,  Avhich  spread  out  over 
the  mercy-seat,  and  betoken  their  readiness  and 
ability  to  waft  to  all  the  world  the  glad  tidings,  that 
the  law  has  been  fulfilled  and  justification  secured 
to  all  who  believe  in  their  jewel-crowned  King. 

7.  They  have  their  faces  turned  downward  to  the 
mercy-seat  and  -the  law  it  covers.  This  indicates 
their  chief  study  of  these  things,  into  which  the 
angels  desire  to  look. 

8.  Their  faces  are  turned  inward,  which  teaches 
the  restrictions  and  limitations  of  that  dispensation  : 
whereas  those  of  Ezekiel  and  John  turn  outward  and 
in  all  directions  ;  because  the  times  referred  to  by 
their  ministry  are  aggressive  :  the  Sinai  restrictions 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  41 

of  the  Abraliamic  covenant — that  middle  wall  of 
partition  is  broken  down  and  the  Abrahamic  cove- 
nant goes  forth  to  make  Abraham  the  father  of 
many  nations,  the  heir  of  the  world.  Thus  all  the 
essential  parts  of  the  cherubim  of  John  and  of  Eze- 
kiel  are  here  found  :  and  were  we  to  run  into  the 
detail  of  every  part — the  pins,  and  hooks,  and  rings, 
and  cups,  and  tongs,  and  snuff-dishes,  &c. — about 
the  tabernacle,  w^e  should  find  even  more  complicated 
variety  than  in  Ezekiel's  vision. 

Now  all  this  is  intimately  connected  with  the  di- 
vine legation  of  Moses,  which,  we  have  seen,  not- 
withstanding its  fiery  law,  is  pre-eminently  a  mis- 
sion and  a  ministration  of  mercy. 

One  case  more  remains — the  cherubim  of  Eden. 
Gen.  iii.  24 :  "  So  he  drove  out  the  man :  and  he 
placed  at  the  east  of  the  garden  of  Eden  cherubim 
and  a  flaming  sword  which  turned  every  way,  to 
keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life." 

Note  here  the  brevity  of  the  record.  These  im- 
aginary beings  are  not  described  as  things  new  and 
ill  understood ;  but  as  if  the  expected  readers  of 
the  history  were  familiar  with  their  general  appear- 
ance and  uses.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  fact.  A 
knowledge  of  these  symbols  was  handed  down  by 
tradition,  just  as  the  rite  of  sacrifices  was ;  and  the 
meaning  of  both.  Adam  was  cotemporary  with 
Methuselah  two  hundred  and  foiiy-three  years; 
Methuselah  with  Shem  ninety-eight  years;  Shem 
with  Isaac  fifty-two  years;   and   of  course  within 

4  -^ 


42  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

eight  years  of  the  birth  of  Jacob,  who  was  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years  old  at  the  descent  into  Egypt ; 
which  leaves  but  one  hundred  and  thirty  to  the 
birth  of  Moses.  How  easy  then  was  it  to  transmit 
a  sacred  religious  observance  to  this  time ;  and  to 
preserve  its  meaning  in  a  religious  community  ? 
Adam,  Methuselah,  Shem,  Jacob  ;  these  four  could 
bring  it  down  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
of  the  time  when  Moses  had  arrived  at  manhood. 
Therefore  it  is  that  he  presents  it  as  a  matter  with 
which  his  present  and  prospective  readers  were  not 
unacquainted.  Subsequent  details  surely  authorize 
their  matter  to  be  understood  of  the  briefer  state- 
ment before  us. 

There  is  a  traditionary  exposition  of  the  work  of 
the  cherubim,  which  we  feel  constrained  to  reject. 
It  is  that  they  are  flaming  angels,  set  as  guards  to 
ward  off  and  prevent  man  from  approaching  and 
attempting  tt)  seize  upon  and  eat  the  fruit  of  this 
tree,  in  the  vain  hope  of  gaining  life  by  it.  As- 
suming that  the  tree  was  a  sacrament  of  the  cove- 
nant of  works,  the  agency  of  these  living  creatures 
is  to  prevent  men  from  attempting  salvation  by 
clinging  to  that  covenant.  "  To  this  there  are  two 
or  three  insuperable  objections.  First,  the  word 
translated  heep,  never  signifies  to  keep  off — to  drive 
away ;  but  generally,  if  not  always,  to  keep  in 
safety;  to  protect;  to  defend.  In  Gen.  ii.  15,  it 
means,  to  watch,  and  take  care  of.  Adam  was 
placed  in  the  garden  "to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it." 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  43 

"  For  I  knoAv  him,"  says  God,  concerning  Abraham, 
"  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his  house- 
hold after  him ;  and  they  sliall  keep  the  way  of  the 
Lord."  Chap,  xviii.  10.  ''Because  that  Abraham 
kept  my  charge,"  xxvi.  5.  "I  will  again  feed  and 
keep  thy  flock,"  xxx.  31.  And  God  said  unto  La- 
ban,  "  Take  heed  that  thou  speak  not  to  Jacob  either 
good  or  bad, — that  thou  speak  not  harshly  to  him," 
xxxi.  24.  Let  them  "  lay  up  corn  in  the  land  of 
Pharaoh,  and  let  them  keep  food  in  the  cities,"  xli. 
35.  These  are  all  the  instances  of  the  word's  oc- 
currence (according  to  Trommius)  in  Genesis :  and 
they  clearly  show  that  the  sense  is  not  to  keep  off — 
to  drive  atvay — but  to  preserve.  So,  in  the  passage 
in  question,  it  must  mean,  to  keep  up  a  knowledge 
of  the  way  of  life  ; — to  instruct  men  how  they  must 
walk  if  they  will  enjoy  life — to  keep  constantly  in 
the  way  which  leads  to  it, — to  walk  in  Christ  who 
is  the  way,  that  they  may  enjoy  him  as  the  life." 

Second.  We  find  no  instance  in  the  Bible  where 
cherub  or  cherubim  means  an  angel,  that  is,  a  spir- 
itual, created  being,  not  connected  with  .a  body. 

Third.  The  tree  of  life  is  Christ,  in  communion 
with  whom  is  life.  The  tree  in  the  garden  was  a 
symbol  of  that  life ;  and  the  tree  of  life  in  Ezekiel's 
and  John's  visions,  clearly  exhibits  him  as  the  bless- 
edness of  the  souls  of  men  :  his  fruit  is  perpetual, 
and  his  leaves  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 
Therefore,  to  exclude  men  from  him  could  not  be 
the  work  of  holy  beings.     See  Lee.  XL 


44  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

It  remains  only  to  repeat  that  this  cherubic  vision 
is  given,  in  immediate  connection  with  the  first  rev- 
elation of  mercy — ''  he  shall  bruise  thy  head  " — the 
destruction  of  Satan's  kingdom  and  tyranny  over 
man  :  and  the  means  of  this  destruction — "  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel," — his  inferior  nature  shall 
suffer ;  and  of  this  suffering,  bloody  sacrifices,  di- 
vinely appointed  at  this  time,  are  the  standing  and 
most  expressive  symbol. 

"We  therefore  conclude  that  the  Ark,  inclusive  of 
the  Mercy-seat,  is  the  grand  type  of  the  Messiah  ; 
as  FULFILLER  of  preceptive  laiv  for  lost  men  ;  as 
"the  Lord  our  Righteousness  ;"  as  the  justifier 
of  all  that  believe  in  him. 

This  gives  us  the  reason  why  it  is  called  the  Ark 
of  the  Testimony.  The  ten  words  are  God's  testi- 
mony to  truth  and  right,  and  against  all  that  is  false 
and  unrighteous.  The  Mediator  w^ho  delivered  the 
tables  of  stone  to  Moses  is  called  a  witness.  "  These 
things  saith  the  Amen  ;  the  faithful  and  true  wit- 
ness," Rev.  iii.  14.  And  in  Rev.  xix.  10,  the  angel 
says,  "  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  th}^  brethren 
that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus :  worship  God : 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy." 
And  in  Malachi  iii.,  the  Saviour  calls  himself  "  a 
swift  witness  against  the  sorcerers,  and  against  the 
adulterers,  and  against  false  swearers,  &c."  So 
was  he  the  subject  of  prophetic  promise.  "  Behold, 
I  have  given  him  for  a  tvitness  to  the  people,  a 
leader  and  commander  to  the  people,"  Is.  Iv.  4.     The 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  45 

stones  are  called  the  testimony — "  put  into  the  Ark, 
the  testimony  " — "  two  tables  of  testimony."  Con- 
sequently the  Ark  of  the  Testimony  and  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  testimony — "  the  tabernacle  of  wit- 
ness "  are  mentioned  in  several  places — as  Num. 
xvii.  7,  8,  and  xviii.  2.  In  short,  Christ's  fulfilling 
the  law  is  the  highest  conceivable  testimony  to  its 
importance  in  reference  to  God's  government  and 
man's  salvation. 


46  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER  V. 
TJie  Table  for  the  Bread  of  Faces. 

This  was  made  of  the  same  materials  with  the  Ark, 
Exod.  xxxvii.  10-16.  It  was  thirtj-six  inches  long, 
eighteen  wide,  and  twenty-seven  high.  Its  border 
of  network  and  ornamental  crown  were  similar  to 
those  of  the  Ark ;  as  also  were  its  rings  in  the  four 
corners  of  the  feet,  and  staves  for  transportation ; 
and  all  overlaid  with  pure  gold.  "  And  he  made 
the  vessels  which  were  upon  the  table,  his  dishes, 
and  his  spoons,  and  his  bowls,  and  his  covers  to 
cover  withal,  of  pure- gold."  On  it  v/ere  placed 
every  Sabbath  twelve  cakes  of  bread.  ''  And  thou 
shalt  take  fine  flour,  and  bake  twelve  cakes  thereof: 
two  tenth-deals  shall  be  in  one  cake.  And  thou 
shalt  set  them  in  two  rows,  upon  the  pure  table  be- 
fore the  Lord.  And  thou  shalt  put  pure  frankin- 
cense upon  each  row,  that  it  may  be  upon  the  bread 
for  a  memorial,  even  an  offering  made  by  fire,  unto 
the  Lord.  Every  Sabbath  he  shall  set  it  (the  bread) 
in  order  before  the  Lord  continually,  being  taken 
from  the  children  of  Israel  by  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant. And  it  shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons',  and 
they  shall  eat  it  in  the  holy  place :   for  it  is  most 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  47 

holy  unto  him  of  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by- 
fire  by  a  peri^etual  statute,"  Lev.  xxiv.  5-9.  Here 
remark,  (1)  bread  is  the  staple  of  life.  The  manna 
is  called  "bread  from  heaven."  In  the  present 
case  the  bread  is  made  of  fine  flour,  ground  between 
the  millstones.  (2)  It  is  most  likely  unleavened, 
though  the  book  nowhere  aflirms  this  expressly. 
The  passover  bread,  and  most,  if  not  all  else  offered 
unto  the  Lord,  was  unleavened — Lev.  ii.  5-11 — "  a 
meat  offering  (not  flesh,  but  bread)  baken  in  a  pan, 
it  shall  be  of  fine  flour,  unleavened,  part  is  burned 
for  a  memorial,  and  that  which  is  left  of  the  meat 
offering  shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons.'  No  meat 
offering,  which  ye  shall  bring  unto  the  Lord,  shall 
be  made  with  leaven :  for  ye  shall  burn  no  leaven, 
nor  any  honey,  in  any  offering  of  the  Lord  made 
by  fire."  And,  vi.  14-17,  "  This  is  the  law  of  the 
meat  offering — he  shall  take  of  it  his  handful,  of 
the  flour  of  the  meat  ofiering — and  shall  burn  it 
upon  the  altar  for  a  sweet  savour,  even  the  memo- 
rial of  it,  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  remainder  thereof 
shall  Aaron  and  his  sons  eat :  with  unleavened  bread 
shall  it  be  eaten  in  the  holy  place ;  in  the  court  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  they  shall  eat  it. 
It  shall  not  be  baken  with  leaven."  It  hardly  ad- 
mits of  a  doubt.     The  shew  bread  was  unleavened. 

(3.)  It  remained  on  the  table  from  one  Sabbath 
until  the  next ;  even  on  their  journeys  it  was  not 
omitted.  (See  Num.  iv.  7.)  Therefore  is  it  called 
sheiv  bread — bread  of  faces — bread  continually  before 


48  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

faces  of  the  Lord.  This  renders  it  the  more  likely 
to  be  unleavened ;  for,  in  that  climate  where  the 
manna  remaining  over  night  spoiled,  leavened  bread 
a  week  old  would  be  sour. 

(4.)  The  frankincense  was  probably  placed  in 
some  of  the  dishes  provided  and  was  removed  and 
burnt  in  the  censers  or  on  the  incense  altar,  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  Avill  be  noticed  when  we  shall  describe 
that  article  of  furniture. 

Let  us  inquire  into  the  typical  meaning  of  the 
table,  its  furniture  and  its  contents. 

In  general,  it  exhibits  Messiah  as  the  bread  of 
God,  that  comes  down  from  heaven  and  sustains  the 
life  of  the  church.  John  vi.  35-39 :  "  And  Jesus 
said  unto  them,  I  am  the  bread  of  life.  He  that 
eateth  of  this  bread  shall  live  for  ever."  But  particu- 
larly, (1)  The  wood  and  the  gold,  as  throughout, 
symbolize  the  human  and  the  divine  natures  in  the 
person  of  Christ.  (2)  The  sufferings  of  the  Saviour 
may  be  alluded  to  in  the  grinding  of  the  flour  and 
the  action  of  the  fire  in  baking.  (3)  The  Twelve 
cakes  or  loaves  are  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  for 
each  and  all  of  whom  bread  was  provided.  (4)  The 
frankincense  when  offered  expresses  prayers  and 
thanksgivings  of  the  church.  (5)  The  continual 
presence  of  the  bread  is  a  guarantee,  that  spiritual 
food  shall  never  fail,  but  a  store  is  perpetually  on 
hand.  (6)  The  exchange  of  the  bread  and  the  priests 
eating  it  in  the  holy  place  on  the  Sabbath  sets  forth 
clearly  and    forcibly,    that   abundant  provision  of 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  49 

spiritual  food  and  nourishment  v^h'cli  the  Lord's 
day  always  brings  with  it  to  the  people  of  his  love. 

(7)  Its  exclusive  appropriation  to  the  priests  inti- 
mates the  limited  privileges  of  the  people ;  and  pre- 
pares for  the  contrast  of  a  later  day,  when  they  be- 
come   elevated    as    kings    and    priests    unto    God. 

(8)  The  unleavened  bread  indicates  the  absence  of 
any  process  of  decay.  Leaven  is  the  first  step  to- 
wards dissolution,  and  its  prohibition  assuredly  inti- 
mates the  absence  of  ail  tendency  to  corruption  in 
the  Redeemer,  who,  even  in  a  physical  sense,  saw  no 
corruption.  Does  not  this  teach  that  in  the  sacra- 
mental supper,  we  ought  not  to  use  leavened  bread, 
bread  in  the  first  stage  toward  utter  putrefaction  ? 

Moreover  the  other  idea,  suggested  by  the  un- 
leavened bread  of  the  passover  as  an  indication  of 
being  hastily  driven  out  on  a  pilgrimage  journey,  is 
still  applicable :  we  are  travelling  through  a  strange 
land  toward  the  heavenly  Canaan. 


50  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TJie   Candlestick. 

ExoD.  xxxvii.  17-24.  ''  And  he  made  the  candle- 
stick of  pure  gold  :  of  beaten  work  made  he  the  can- 
dlestick ;  his  shaft,  and  his  branch,  his  bowls,  his 
knops,  and  his  flowers,  were  of  the  same.  And  six 
branches  going  out  of  the  sides  thereof;  three 
branches  of  the  candlestick  out  of  the  one  side 
thereof,  and  three  branches  of  the  candlestick  out 
of  the  other  side  thereof:  three  bowls  made  after 
the  fashion  of  almonds  in  one  branch,  a  knop  and  a 
flower  ;  and  three  bowls  made  like  almonds  in  another 
branch :  so  throughout  the  six  branches  going  out 
of  the  candlestick.  And  in  the  candlestick  were 
four  bowls  made  like  almonds,  his  knops  and  his 
flowers :  And  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  the 
same,  and  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  the  same, 
and  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  the  same,  accord- 
ing to  the  six  branches  going  out  of  it.  Their 
knops  and  their  branches  were  of  the  same :  all  of 
it  was  one  beaten  work  of  pure  gold.  And  he  made 
his  seven  lamps,  and  his  snufl"ers,  and  his  snuff"- 
dishes,  of  pure  gold.  Of  a  talent  of  pure  gold 
made  he  it,  and  all  the  vessels  thereof." 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  51 

This  gives  us  a  very  distinct  general  notion  of 
the  lamp-stand.  The  four  bowls  made  like  almonds 
give  the  only  difficulty  in  our  conception ;  they 
are,  I  suppose,  part  of  the  one  piece  of  beaten  gold 
and  so  adjusted  as  to  contain  the  oil :  and  are  there- 
fore of  similar  use  with  the  two  olive  trees  in  Zecha- 
riah's  vision,  ''  which  through  the  golden  pipes  empty 
the  golden  oil  out  of  themselves."     Zech.  iv.  2,  12. 

We  have  a  base,  and  an  upright  shaft,  and  the 
three  branches  on  each  side  suitably  ornamented 
with  knops  and  flowers ;  and  each,  like  the  main 
shaft,  terminating  in  an  ornamental  cup  or  tulip- 
shaped  receptacle  for  the  lamp.  For  the  23d  verse 
describes  the  lamps  as  entirely  separate  from  the 
candlestick  itself ;  as  really  so,  as  the  other  items 
mentioned :  "  He  made  his  seven  lamps,  and  his  snuff- 
ers, and  his  snuff-dishes."  The  lamps,  or  burners, 
being  separate,  could  easily  be  removed  for  cleans- 
ing, trimming  and  filling. 

Our  position  is,  that  Christ,  in  his  prophetic 
office,  is  herein  typified.  He  communicates  to  us  all 
the  true  knowledge  of  God  and  of  eternal  things, 
which  we  possess.  He  lights  our  way  into  the 
holiest  of  all.  His  ''  commandment  is  a  lamp,  and 
the  law  is  light."  He  it  was  who  'said,  Let  there  be 
light,  and  light  was.  "Unto  you  that  fear  my 
name,  shall  the  Son  of  righteousness  arise  with  heal- 
ing in  his  wings."  "  This  is  the  true  light  which 
lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world." 
"  He  teacheth  as  never  man  taught." 


52  THE    TABERNACLE,    OK 

It  may  be  said,  I  know,  that  "the  seven  golden 
candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches,"  Rev.  i.  20  ; 
and  the  argument  and  inference  may  be,  that  here 
too,  the  candlestick  is  the  symbol  of  the  church  :  as 
He  tauo;ht,  "Ye  are  the  lio-ht  of  the  world."  This 
is  true,  but  it  does  not  militate  against  the  doctrine 
that  Christ  is  typified  by  the  candlestick.  For  all 
the  light  the  church  possesses  and  radiates  is  re- 
flected from  the  sun.  "Ye  were  some  time  dark- 
ness, but  now  are  ye  light  in  the  Lord  ;  walk  as 
children  of  light."  This  is  intimated  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  all  pure  gold  :  that  the  lamps  are  seven, 
the  mystic  number  of  perfection; — "seven  lamps 
of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the 
seven  spirits  of  God."  Rev.  v.  5.  The  Holy  Ghost 
is  sent  and  enlightens  sinners,  as  he  is  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus. 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  53 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Incense  Altar. 

ExoD.  xxxvii.  25-28  :  "And  he  made  the  incense 
altar  of  shittim  wood  :  the  length  of  it  was  a  cubit, 
and  the  breadth  of  it  a  cubit ;  it  was  four  square  ; 
and  two  cubits  was  the  height  of  it ;  the  horns  there- 
of were  of  the  same.  And  he  overlaid  it  with  pure 
gold,  both  the  top  of  it  and  the  sides  thereof  round 
about,  and  the  horns  of  it :  also  he  made  unto  it  a 
crown  of  gold  round  about."  A  little  table,  eighteen 
inches  square  and  twice  that  in  height,  with  a  horn- 
like projection  in  each  corner,  all  covered  with  pure 
gold,  and  the  metal  wrought  in  ornamental  work 
around  the  edge,  is  the  simple  idea  of  the  incense 
altar  ;  to  which  is  afl&xed  the  rings  ;  and  accompany- 
ing which  are  the  staves  for  transportation.  "And 
he  made  the  holy  anointing  oil,  and  the  pure  incense 
of  sweet  spices,  according  to  the  work  of  the  apothe- 
cary." "And  Aaron  shall  burn  thereon  sweet  in- 
cense every  morning  ;  when  he  dresseth  the  lamps, 
he  shall  burn  incense  upon  it.  And  when  Aaron 
lighteth  the  lamps  at  even,  he  shiiU  burn  incense 
upon  it,  a  perpetual  incense  before  the  Lord  through- 
out your  generations,"  Exod.  xxx.  7,  8.     "Let  my 

5  * 


54  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

prayer  be  set  forth  before  thee  as  incense  ;  and  the 
upUfting  of  my  hands  as  the  evening  sacrifice,"  Psal. 
cxli.  2.  And  John's  vision.  Rev.  viii.  3,  becomes 
expository.  "And  there  was  given  unto  the  angel 
much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  prayers 
of  the  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which  was 
before  the  throne."  There  is  not,  nor  can  there 
reasonably  be,  any  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the 
symbol  meaning.  The  perfume  and  smoke  of  the 
burning  incense  ascend,  a  beautiful  type  of  the  prayers 
and  supplications  of  the  saints  ;  and  the  altar,  its 
censers  and  its  implements  all  are  a  type  of  our 
Redeemer  as  the  intercessor  and  advocate  of  his 
people  before  the  divine  throne.  "We  have  an  Ad- 
vocate with  the  Father,  even  Jesus  Christ,  the  right- 
eous." Through  him  our  supplications  pass  up,  and 
by  his  advocacy  the  cries  of  our  necessities  become 
prevalent ;  and  from  the  Father,  for  his  sake,  come 
down  all  the  blessings  needed  in  the  church. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  55 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Tlie  Altar  of  Burnt-Offering, 

This  was  a  square  frame  of  boards,  seven  and  an 
half  feet  on  the  sides  and  four  and  an  half  high. 
"And  he  made  the  horns  thereof  on  the  four  corners 
of  it ;  the  horns  were  of  the  same  ;  and  he  overlaid 
it  with  brass.  And  he  made  all  the  vessels  of  the 
altar,  the  pots,  and  the  shovels,  and  the  basins,  and 
the  flesh-hooks,  and  the  fire-pans  :  all  the  vessels 
thereof  made  he  of  brass.  And  he  made  for  the 
altar  a  brazen  grate  of  net-work,  under  the  compass 
thereof,  beneath  unto  the  midst  of  it."  Here  we 
have  no  mention  of  net  or  crown  work  along  the 
outer  edges  of  the  sides,  as  in  the  golden  covered 
furniture  ;  because  the  brazen  grate,  being  separa- 
ble and  hanging  down  inside,  had  no  need  of  such 
work  to  prevent  its  contents  from  falling  out.  Both 
the  grate  and  the  square  frame  had  rings  on  the 
sides,  at  the  corners,  and  their  respective  staves 
overlaid  with  brass,  for  their  transportation. 

The  altar  of  burnt-offerings  is  the  great  and  fear- 
ful type  of  Christ,  as  the  suffering  Saviour.  It  ex- 
hibits to  our  eyes  "Our  passover  sacrificed  for  us." 
"He,   through  the  eternal  Spirit,   offered  himself 


56 

without  spot  to  God,"  Heb.  ix.  14.  ''And  hath 
given  himself  for  us  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to 
God  for  a  sweet  smeUing  savour,"  Eph.  v.  2.  As 
the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  profession,  he 
had  a  fearful  work  to  perform  ;  and  all  that  belongs 
to  the  rendering  of  satisfaction  to  penal  justice  for 
lost  men,  is  here  symbolized.  "For  it  became  him, 
for  whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things, 
in  bringing  many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  Cap- 
tain of  their  salvation  perfect  through  sufferings," 
Heb.  ii.  10.  The  burning  altar,  with  its  victim,  is 
Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified. 

The  doctrine  of  sacrifices  has  a  divine  origin. 
Very  extensively,  in  the  heathen  world,  has  the  cus- 
tom prevailed  of  ofiering  animals  in  sacrifice  to  their 
deities.  A  living  animal,  a  sheep,  a  goat,  an  ox,  is 
brought  to  the  priest ;  its  life  is  taken,  and  its  body, 
in  whole  or  part,  is  burned  to  ashes  or  cinders.  Not 
unfrequently,  by  a  terrible  perversion,  the  victims 
ofiered  were  human  beings.  Every  year,  in  the 
month  of  January,  our  own  ancestors  in  the  British 
Isles  offered  ninety-nine  men  in  sacrifice  to  their 
imaginary  gods.  I^he  natives  of  Mexico  had  such 
practice  when  discovered  by  the  Spaniards.  The 
nations  of  ancient  Canaan  abounded  in  this  fearful 
sin — they  made  their  own  children  pass  through  the 
fire  unto  Moloch.  And  God,  by  the  mouth  of 
Moses,  legislated  on  this  subject.  Lev.  xx.  2 : 
"Whosover  he  be  that  giveth  any  of  his  seed  unto 
Moloch,  shall  surely  be  put  to  death."     Neverthe- 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES.      57 

less  it  was  often  done  :  Even  as  late  as  the  reign  of 
Manasseh,  before  Christ  seven  hundred  years,  this 
dreadful  crime  was  perpetrated  in  Israel :  And 
Manasseh  "made  his  son  pass  through  the  fire,"  2 
Kings  xxi.  6.  How  deep  the  depravity,  how  blinded 
the  conscience,  how  terrible  its  lashes,  to  drive  men 
into  such  enormity  of  crime  !  Now  all  these  sacri- 
fices were  associated  with  the  conception  of  rendering 
God  propitious.  But  how  could  this  be  ?  Is  it  con- 
ceivable that  the  slaughtering  of  an  innocent  lamb 
and  the  burning  of  its  body,  or  the  murdering  of  an 
innocent  child,  should  be  pleasing  to  God,  its  Crea- 
tor ?  Could  reason  dictate  such  a  course  ?  On  the 
contrary,  reason  as  well  as  revelation,  condemns  it. 
"Wherewith  shall  I  come  before  the  Lord,  and  bow 
myself  before  the  high  God  ?  Shall  I  come  before 
him  with  burnt-oiferings,  with  calves  of  a  year  old  ? 
Will  the  Lord  be  pleased  with  thousands  of  rams,  or 
with  ten  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil  ?  Shall  I  give  my 
first-born  for  my  transgression,  the  fruit  of  my  body 
for  the  sin  of  my  soul  ?  "  Micah  vi.  6,  7.  If  human 
sacrifices  are  abhorrent  to  reason  and  to  the  Author 
of  reason,  how  do  we  account  for  them  ?  If  the  de- 
struction of  even  the  dumb  brute,  and  its  unproduc- 
tive consumption,  is  condemned  by  reason,  whence 
the  custom  so  general  over  the  earth  ?  Ye  men  !  who 
proclaim  the  adequacy  of  reason,  unaided  by  revela- 
tion, to  guide  man  in  the  paths  of  holy  duty,  here  is 
a  problem  for  you.  How  do  you  account  for  the 
general  prevalence  of  bloody  sacrifices  ? 


58  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

Reason  is  dumb.  It  remains  for  revelation  to 
speak ;  she  lifts  the  veil ;  and  all  is  intelligible. 
This  is  a  divine  institution,  ordained  of  God  in 
paradise,  for  the  specific  purpose  of  holding  up  to 
view  the  promised  seed  of  the  woman,  as  the  vica- 
rious substitute,  suffering  in  the  law-place  and  room 
of  lost  men,  that  thej  may  escape  the  dominion 
of  the  curse.  God  is  the  Lord  of  life  and  has 
supreme  dominion  over  everything  that  lives.  He 
therefore  may  do  w4iat  he  will  with  his  own.  Ac- 
cordingly he  appointed  the  sacrifice  of  animals,  as 
types  and  representations  of  Christ's  offering  up 
himself  a  sacrifice  for  us.  He  clothed  our  first 
parents  in  the  skins  of  the  first  sacrifices,  ere  they 
were  expelled  from  the  garden ;  and  we  find  Abel 
bringing  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  and  of  the  fat 
thereof,  an  offering  to  the  Lord :  and  this,  in  the 
faith  of  the  promised  Messiah.   See  Heb.  xi.  4. 

This  exposition  is  demonstrated  in  the  habitual 
practice  of  the  Hebrew  worship.  Lev.  i.  4:  "And 
he  shall  put  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  burnt- 
offering  ;  and  it  shall  be  accepted  for  him  to  make 
atonement  for  him."  So  Lev.  iii.  2,  8,  13,  and  iv. 
4,  15,  24,  29,  33 ;  Num.  viii.  12.  So,  of  the  scape- 
goat. Lev.  xvi.  21:  "Aaron  shall  lay  both  his 
hands  upon  the  head  of  the  live  goat,  and  confess 
over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  all  their  transgressions  in  all  their  sins,  putting 
them  upon  the  head  of  the  goat."  And  thus  "  The 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. ' '      1  Pet. 


THE    aOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  59 

ii.  24  :  "  Who  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree."  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  "For 
he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no 
sin ;  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  him,"  2  Cor.  v.  21.  "  For  it  is  not  possible 
that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take 
away  sins,"  Heb.  x.  4.  But  we  are  sanctified 
through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
once,  V.  14.  Thus  satisfaction  is  rendered  to  di- 
vine justice — "  The  wages  of  sin  is  death  " — and 
this  death  Jesus,  as  our  Surety,  endured  for  us,  as 
a  true  vicarious  substitute.  "  For  Christ  also  hath 
once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that 
he  might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit,"  1  Pet.  iii.  18. 
We  repeat  the  blessed  doctrine — The  Altar  of  burnt- 
offering  with  all  its  implements,  and  all  its  services, 
represents  the  seed  of  the  woman,  the  Lord  our  Re- 
deemer, in  his  official  character,  as  our  High  Priest 
offering  up  himself  a  sacrifice  for  our  sins. 

In  this  he  is  the  legal  head  and  surety  of  the 
saved  sinner,  on  whom  the  curse  of  the  law  had  lain. 
The  worshipper  who  brings  his  sacrifice  acknow- 
ledges his  own  life  to  be  forfeited ;  and  expresses 
his  faith,  that  Christ  typified  by  the  sacrifice  is  sub- 
stituted ;'  that  is,  is  recognized  in  law  as  taking  his 
place  and  suffering  for  him.  There  is  nothing  like 
a  change  or  transfer  of  moral  character  intimated. 
This  were  an  idea  too  absurd  to  be  believed  for  a 


60  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

moment — yea,  almost  too  silly  and  wicked  to  be 
conceived.  But  there  is  a  transfer  of  guilt,  i.  e., 
of  liahility  to  suffer  punishment.  And  this  is  the 
only  conceivable  sense  in  which  "  Christ  bore  our 
sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,"  the  only  sense  in 
which  he  became  a  sin-oifering  for  us.  Guilt  is  the 
bond  that  binds  the  sinner  to  the  stake  for  everlast- 
ing burning :  Christ,  in  wondrous  love,  unlooses 
this  cord  from  the  sinner  and  binds  it  around  him- 
self. He  dies  in  our  place,  and  having  said,  "  It  is 
finished,"  the  guilt  of  our  sin  is  gone  for  ever. 
Hence  it  follows,  by  an  inevitable  necessity  of  logic, 
that  our  sins  can  never  rise  in  the  judgment  against 
us.  Justice  eternally  bars  the  possibility  of  this ; 
and  pardon  to'  the  believer  follows :  a  pardon  bought 
with  blood — with  blood  divine :  yet  to  the  sinner, 
as  from  Christ,  a  perfect  gratuity : — by  grace  ye 
are  saved. 

Thus,  properly  speaking,  is  the  sinner  saved:  he 
is  rescued  from  the  curce ;  he  is  delivered  from  the 
wrath  of  God ;  "  snatched  from  hell  and  the  grave." 
Now,  it  may  be  well  to  note  in  closing,  this  is  not 
justification.  Another  symbol — the  Ark — sets  forth 
that  idea :  positive  righteousness,  holy  action,  enti- 
tles to  life  everlasting :  but  the  suffering  of  penal 
evil  to  the  full  only  delivers  the  sinner  from  penal 
suffering.  This  we  shall  see  more  distinctly  when 
we  come  to  combine  all  these  symbols  into  a  grand 
unity,  and  to  point  out  the  relations  of  each  to  each, 
and  to  the  comprehensive  whole. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  61 


CHAPTER    IX. 
Uie  Laver  and  It  is  yoot. 

The  word  laver  is  of  Latin  origin,  and  signifies 
a  washer,  or  wash-bowl,  Exod.  xxxviii.  8  :  "  And 
he  made  the  laver  of  brass,  and  the  foot  of  it  of 
brass,  of  the  looking-glasses  of  the  women,  which 
assembled  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation." "And,  chap.  xL  30,  31,  32,  he  set  the 
laver  between  the  tent  of  the  congregation  and  the 
altar,  and  put  water  there,  to  wash  withal.  And 
Moses,  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  washed  their  hands 
and  their  feet  thereat.  When  thej  went  into  the 
tent  of  the  congregation,  and  when  they  came  near 
unto  the  altar,  they  washed;  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses."  And  chap.  xxx.  19-21 :  "For 
Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  wash  their  hands  and  their 
feet  thereat.  When  they  go  into  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  they  shall  wash  with  water,  that 
they  die  not :  or  when  they  come  near  to  the  altar 
to  minister,  to  burn  offering  made  by  fire  to  the 
Lord.  'So  they  shall  wash  their  hands  and  their 
feet,  that  they  die  not." 

Let  us  note  the  material — ''brass;  of  the  looking- 
glasses."     A  strange  transmutation  this,  looking- 


62  THE    TABEP.XACl.E.    OR 

glasses  into  brass !  Persons  disposed  to  cavil  at 
Scripture  have  noticed  this  as  an  absurdity :  and 
have  also  alleged,  to  Moses'  prejudice,  that  glass 
was  not  known  in  the  world  when  he  is  claimed  to 
have  written — nearly  fifteen  centuries  before  Christ. 
But  infidelity  gains  nothing  by  such  petty  cavils. 
All  we  have  to  do,  in  order  to  obviate  both  these 
supposed  difficulties,  is  to  acknowledge  a  slight  infe- 
licity in  our  English  translation,  and  to  correct  it. 
The  word  translated  looking-glasses,  simply  means 
mirrors,  or  reflectors,  which  were  made  in  Moses' 
day  of  metal,  of  brass  chiefly,  though  probably  with 
a  mixture  of  other  metal.  These  metallic  reflectors 
or  mirrors  would  be  made  of  very  finely  purified 
metal ;  Avhich  was  therefore  very  suitable  for  the 
purpose  of  an  instrument  for  cleansing. 

It  seems  probable  that  the  laver  and  his  foot  were 
separable.  Possibly  the  wash-bowl  was  composed 
from  the  refined  metal  of  reflectors  ;  and  its  foot  of 
a  coarser  material.  This  idea  of  two  pieces  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact  that  no  rings  and  staves 
are  provided  for  its  transportation :  leaving  us  to 
infer  that  they  were  packed  up  with  other  things 
when  the  camp  removed. 

Nor  have  we  any  detail  as  to  its  shape,  or  dimen- 
sions, or  ornaments.  The  brazen  sea  of  Solomon 
was  fifteen  feet  in  diameter :  and  he  constructed 
ten  lavers.  As  extreme  cleansing  was  required,  it 
is  not  at  all  probable  that  the  priests  washed  their 
hands  and  their  feet  by  putting  them  into  the  bowl 


THE    GUSPEL    ACCUKDING    TO    MOSES.  63 

itself.  Much  more  likely,  there  were  separate 
smaller  bowls,  which  Avere  emptied  after  each  ablu- 
tion ;  or,  it  is  probable  ''  his  foot "  was  a  bason  be- 
low the  laver,  with  means  of  letting  off  the  fouled 
water,  and  of  letting  down  from  the  bowl  above  a 
new  supply  for  the  next  person. 

Further,  we  notice  the  high  importance  of  these 
washings.  The  priest  wdio  neglected  them  perilled 
his  own  life  ;  giving  awful  sanction  to  the  command 
— "Be  ye  clean  that  bear  the  vessels  of  the  Lord." 

"We  now  enquire  for  the  symbolical  meaning : 
and  to  this  the  answer  is,  Christ  Jesus  as  the  puri- 
fier of  his  church.  Among  the  last  messages  he 
delivered  by  the  old  prophets,  w^as  the  promise  of 
his  personal  advent.  "  But  who  may  abide  the  day 
of  his  coming  ?  And  who  shall  stand  when  he  ap- 
peareth  ?  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like 
fuller's  soap.  And  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and 
purifier  of  silver  :  and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of 
Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they 
may  appear  unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteous- 
ness," Mai.  iii.  2,  3.  This  mission  was  to  display 
the  law  of  God  to  his  church,  and  to  "  give  himself 
for  it ;  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with 
the  washing  of  water  by  the  word ;  that  he  might 
present  it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having 
spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  that  it 
should  be  holy  and  without  blemish,'"  Eph.  v.  25-27. 
And  this  glorious  work  he  accomplishes  "  Not  by 
works  of  rio;hteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  ac- 


64  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

cording  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing 
(we  might  translate  it  the  laver)  of  regeneration 
and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Tit.  iii.  5. 

This  purification  is  not  from  the  guilt  of  sin — by 
guilt  meaning  liability  to  penal  evil — to  punishment. 
The  burning  altar  is  the  exclusive  symbol  of  this 
idea.  But  the  laver  symbolizes  Jesus  as  the  puri- 
fier— the  cleanser  from  moral  defilement.  The  two 
symbols  are  entii-ely  separate  and  distinct,  but  hav- 
ing their  proper  relations. 

It  doubtless  may  occur,  as  an  objection  to  our 
considering  Christ  as  symbolized  by  the  laver,  that 
the  work  of  sanctification  belongs,  in  the  economy 
of  redemption,  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  true, 
but  it  is  as  the  Spirit  of  Christ ;  or  as  sent  through 
him  and  at  his  intercession,  that  the  third  Person 
sanctifies  the  sinner.  We  hold  and  teach,  that  sanc- 
tification, which  begins  in  regeneration  and  is  con- 
tinued through  life  and  even  in  eternal  ages,  is  the 
work  of  the  Spirit.  See  Junkin  on  Sanctification, 
chap.  vii.  viii.  ix.  Still,  only  for  the  sufferings 
symbolized  in  the  burning  Altar  and  the  righteous- 
ness by  the  Ark,  could  the  Spirit  be  sent  to  do  this 
work — "  If  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter,  the  Spirit, 
will  not  come  unto  you ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send 
him  unto  you,"  Jno.  xvi.  7.  And  our  Lord's  driving 
of  the  hucksters  and  brokers  out  of  the  temple  in- 
dicates this  reforming  process.  He  gave  much  at- 
tention moreover  to  the  priests  and  Levites,  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees — to  all  engaged   in  teaching 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    MOSES.  65 

and  administering  the  ordinances  and  executing  the 
laws.  And  in  the  qualifications  required  for  tli  .^ 
apostleship,  and  for  the  higher  office  of  evangelists, 
he  procured  a  great  reformation.  Even  the  deacon's 
office  was  to  be  in  the  hands  of  holy  men,  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  wisdom.  Thus  he  fulfils  his 
own  prophecy ;  and  purifies  the  sons  of  Levi ;  call- 
ing into  the  sacred  offices  of  the  church  men  whom 
by  his  Spirit  he  has  sanctified ;  and  this,  with  the 
ulterior  view  of  securing  pure  teachings  and  a  holy 
administration.  How  sacred  and  solemn  the  warn- 
ings to  ministers  of  the  word,  that,  first  of  all,  they 
should  see  well  to  their  own  conversion,  as  a  prep- 
aration for  the  office:  and  then,  for  sustenance  in 
the  discharge  of  all  official  duties,  their  constant 
need  of  sanctifying  influences.  But  for  these,  con- 
tained all  in  the  promise,  "  Lo  !  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world,"  who  would 
not  exclaim,  "Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?" 
The  minister  who  does  not  continually  resort  to  the 
laver  will  surely  not  be  characterized  by  presenting 
unto  the  Lord  offerings  in  righteousness. 


66  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER  X, 
The  PHestliood—The  Holy  Garments. 

From  the  call  of  Abniliam,  while  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  life,  until  this 
Exodus,  being  four  hundred  and  thirty  years,  there 
was  no  order  of  official  priesthood  in  the  church. 
The  father  of  the  faithful  was  unquestionably 
prophet,  priest,  and  king  in  his  own  house :  so  like- 
wise was  it,  most  probably,  with  the  other  tribes  and 
nations.  The  institutions  of  the  cherubim  and  sac- 
rifices ;  that  to  point  out  to  man  the  way  to  obtain 
life  by  fulfilment  of  preceptive  law,  and  to  perpet- 
uate the  knowledge  of  that  fulfilment  for  ever  ;  this, 
to  en:hibit  the  sufferings  of  the  woman's  seed  in  ful- 
filment of  penal  law :  the  one,  to  proclaim  justifica- 
tion of  life ;  the  other  to  teach  redemption  from 
death,  by  the  death  of  the  Redeemer  himself. 
These,  I  say,  having  been  given  to  man  in  paradise, 
with  all  the  necessary  explanations  of  their  symbolic 
meaning,  it  is  not  conceivable  that  Adam  should 
neglect  or  forget.  The  garments  he  and  his  wife 
wore  must  have  been  a  very  adequate  memento  of 
the  covering  proclaimed  by  the  cherubim ;  and  at 
the  same  time  of  the  price  of  blood  paid  for  their 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  67 

deliverance  from  the  curse  of  the  law.  It  is,  there- 
fore, no  random  guessing,  when  we  affirm  that  our 
unhappy  parents — nay,  I  recal  that,  for  now,  exer- 
cising faith  in  the  promised  seed,  as  they  obviously 
do,  they  are  again  a  happy  pair ;  and  as  being 
blessed  in  the  hopes  of  the  great  salvation,  it  is  no 
random  guess  to  affirm  that  they,  looking  for  the 
promised  seed,  as  they  do — saying,  I  have  found  it 
— I  have  gotten  a  man  from  the  Lord — would  keep 
up  the  sacrificial  offerings  and  in  presence  of  the 
cherubim.  After  the  birth  of  many  children,  and 
especially,  after  many  of  these  had  gone  away  from 
the  parental  abode,  and  were  each,  with  their  fami- 
lies, pursuing  after  their  bread  in  the  sweat  of  their 
faces,  Adam  must  have  been  to  them  a  ruling,  and 
teaching,  and  worshipping  head-king,  prophet  and 
priest.  Accordingly,  we  find  them  assembling  to- 
gether for  public  worship  :  and  this  coming  together 
and  bringing  their  ofi"erings  unto  the  Lord  was,  "  in 
process  of  time," — or,  at  the  end, — the  cutting  off 
of  days :  i.  e.,  most  assuredly,  on  the  Sabbath,  the 
only  end,  heretofore  mentioned.  And  here,  we  see, 
Cain  brings  a  mere  thank-offering — the  fruit  of  the 
ground  —  an  acknowledgement  simply  of  fealty 
offered  to  the  Lord  as  king :  but  Abel  presents  a 
living  sacrifice — "  The  firstlings  of  his  flock  and 
the  fat  thereof:  and  the  Lord  had  respect  unto 
Abel  and  to  his  offering."  This  was  manifested, 
and  consisted  in  its  miraculous,  spontaneous  combus- 
tion.    We  are  not  informed  of  Adam's  officiating, 


68  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

or  even  of  his  being  present  on  the  occasion.  But 
if  we  mark  the  brevity  of  the  history  and  the  whole 
nature  of  the  case,  I  see  not  how  we  can  avoid  the 
opinion  that  he  superintended  and  directed  all  the 
general  aifairs  of  his  expanding  family. 

Now,  as  it  must  have  been  with  this  family,  until 
it  became  so  numerous,  and  spread  over  so  large  a 
space,  as  to  render  it  impracticable  for  them  to  meet 
for  worship  in  one  place  and  to  be  managed  by  one 
superintendent;  so,  when  they,  by  necessity,  estab- 
lished new  and  additional  places  for  their  Sabbatic 
assemblages,  the  patriarchal  head  of  these  new  tribes 
or  nations  would  become  the  prophet,  priest,  and 
king;  and  they  would  carry  along  with  them  the 
laws,  institutions,  and  forms  of  worship  in  which 
they  had  been  educated.  The  cherubim  they  might 
not  remove ;  but  its  symbolic  meaning  they  could 
not  avoid  remembering  more  or  less  distinctly :  and 
an  altar  they  could  erect  anywhere.  And  this  is 
the  history  of  the  world,  in  regard  to  prophet,  priest, 
and  king,  for  more  than  twenty-five  centuries :  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  that  in  some  nations  there  was  an 
order  of  priesthood  created,  separate  from  the  pa- 
triarchal head.  Yet  is  it  very  certain  that  the 
powers  of  civil  rule  and  religious  influence  and  con- 
trol were  vested  in  the  same  persons.  The  very 
words,  in  various  nations,  which  designate  the  priest's 
office,  also  express  civil  rule.  Joseph's  father-in- 
law  was  both  a  prince  and  a  priest.  And  thus  the 
combination  continued  down  through   all   Grecian 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  69 

and  Roman  history.  Priests  there  were  in  Egypt, 
and  Greece,  and  Rome ;  but  an  order  of  priesthood 
limited  to  the  natural  succession  of  a  single  family 
is  not,  I  apprehend,  to  be  found  in  history  at  all ; 
but  only  in  Aaron's  line.  Melchisedech,  who  was 
very  probably  Shem,  was  an  insulated  priest  and 
king  of  a  tribe,  but  not  one  by  succession  in  a  regu- 
lar line :  neither  father,  nor  mother,  nor  descent 
had  he  in  any  genealogical  line  of  priesthood.  If 
Shem  was  the  Melchisedeck  who  met  Abraham,  and 
to  whom  that  patriarch  paid  tithes  as  his  superior, 
he  had  learned  the  ceremonies  of  the  sacred  service 
from  his  grandfather  Methusaleh,  with  whom  he 
was  cotemporary  for  ninety-eight  years. 

Thus  the  first  decisive  movement  in  the  history 
of  the  world  toward  the  separation  of  things  civil 
and  worldly  from  things  religious  and  spiritual,  is 
in  the  Bible  and  in  connection  with  the  true  re- 
ligion. The  rights  and  privileges  and  duties  of  men 
who  minister  in  holy  things  are  clearly  defined; 
and  so  also  of  civil  afiairs.  The  king  in  Israel  must 
keep  within  his  own  sphere,  lest  he  meet  with  a 
breach,  like  the  son  of  Abinadab,  and  give  occasion 
to  write  on  his  habitation  the  sad  memorial — Perez- 
Uzzah,  2  Sam.  vi.  7,  8 ;  or,  as  Uzziah,  w^hom  Aza- 
riah  the  priest  withstood,  saying,  ''  It  appertaineth 
not  unto  thee,  Uzziah,  to  burn  incense,  but  to  the 
priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  that  are  consecrated  to 
burn  incense:  go  out  of  the  sanctuary;"  *  *  *  * 
"  And   Uzziah   the  king  was  a  leper  unto   the   day 


70  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

of  liis  death,"  2  Cliron.  xxvi.  But  this  is  a  matter 
very  different  from  a  nation's  ignoring  God  and  set- 
ting religion  at  nought :  very  different  from  the 
proverb,  "  Religion  has  nothing  to  do  with  politics." 
If  the  king  has  no  right  to  minister  at  the  altar, 
neither  has  the  priest  a  right  to  sit  in  the  magis- 
trate's seat ;  but  both  are  under  laAv,  and  bear  their 
proper  relations  each  to  each,  in  the  service  of 
God. 

The  whole  tribe  of  Levi  was  consecrated  to  re- 
ligious services,  or  such  as  subserved  religion. 
"  Bring  the  tribe  of  Levi  near,  and  present  them 
before  Aaron  the  priest,  that  they  may  minister 
unto  him."  ''And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken  the  Le- 
vites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel  instead  of 
all  the  first-born,"  Num.  iii.  The  reason  is,  "Be- 
cause all  the  first-born  are  mine ;  for  on  the  day 
that  I  smote  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
I  hallowed  unto  me  all  the  first-born  in  Israel,  both 
man  and  beast :  mine  they  shall  be :  I  am  the  Lord." 
"  Thou  shalt  give  the  Levites  unto  Aaron  and  to 
his  sons :  they  are  w^holly  given  to  him  out  of  the 
children  of  Israel — to  do  the  service  of  the  taber- 
nacle— to  keep  his  chai'ge,  and  the  charge  of  the 
whole  congregation."  "And  take  thou  unto  thee 
Aaron  thy  brother,  and  his  sons  with  him,  from 
among  the  children  of  Israel,  that  he  may  minister 
unto  me  in  the  priest's  office,"  Exod.  xxviii.  1. 
As  we  have  seen  in  chap,  x.,  the  business  of  the 
priest  is  to  offer  sacrifices  of  every  variety  and  kind. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDIN(J    TO    MOSES.  71 

But  all  these  are  instructive ;  all  the  priest's  works 
teach  some  important  truths  :  "  And  that  ye  may 
teach  the  children  of  Israel  all  the  statutes  which 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  unto  them  by  the  hand  of 
Moses,"  Lev.  x.  11.  And  in  the  matter  of  the  lep- 
rosy, they  are  directed  to  "  do  according  to  all  that 
the  priests  the  Levites  shall  teach  you,"  Deut.  xxiv. 
8.  And  Mai.  ii.  7  :  "  For  the  priests'  lips  should 
keep  knowledge,  and  they  should  seek  the  law  at 
his  mouth :  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts." 

As  to  the  various  sacrifices,  it  is  not  consistent  with 
our  plan,  nor  with  the  example  of  Paul,  to  go  into 
much  detail ;  and  what  we  do  will  come  up,  when  we 
enter  upon  our  composition  of  the  various  particulars 
-into  one  complete  system.     We  proceed  with 

The  holy  garments.  "  Thou  shalt  make  holy  gar- 
ments for  Aaron  thy  brother,  for  glory  and  for 
beauty.  And  these  are  the  garments  which  they 
shall  make  :  a  breastplate,  and  an  ephod,  and  a  robe, 
and  a  broidered  coat,  a  mitre  and  a  girdle,"  Exod. 
xxviii.  2-4.  These  now  in  the  order  of  this  text — 
afterwards  reversing  this  order. 

1.  The  breast  plate  consists  of  a  ground  work  of 
fine  twined  linen,  doubled,  and  about  eight  inches 
square.  "Four  square  shall  it  be,  being  doubled  ; 
a  span  shall  be  the  length  thereof,  and  a  span  shall 
be  the  breadth  thereof."  Upon  this  foundation  is 
wrought  elegant  embroidery  of  gold,  of  blue,  and  of 
purple,  and  of  scarlet— "the  gold  they  did  beat  into 


72 


THE    TABERXACLE,    OR 


thin  plates,  and  cut  it  into  wires."  Upon  or  inserted 
into  this  "cunning  work"  are  settings  of  stones, 
even  four  rows  of  stones  :  the  first  row^  shall  be  a 
sardius,  or  cornelian,  a  topaz,  and  a  carbuncle. 
And  the  second  row  shall  be  an  emerald,  a  sapphire, 
and  a  diamond.  And  the  third  row  a  ligure,  an 
agate,  and  an  amethyst ;  and  the  fourth  row  a  beryl, 
an  onyx,  and  a  jasper  :  they  shall  be  set  in  gold  in 
their  inclosings,"  Exod.  xxviii.  15-20.  These  gems 
are  of  various  colours,  under  the  same  names,  so 
that  we  cannot  know  w4th  certainty  what  particular 
hue  each  had  ;  or  whether  variegated ;  and  of 
course,  to  attempt  an  exhibition  of  the  tribal  char- 
acter from  the  colour  and  value  of  the  stone  on 
which  the  name  is  written,  w^ould  be  fanciful  and 
probably  pursuing  the  metaphor  too  far.  It  might 
be  entertaining,  if  not  useful,  to  present  a  table, 
giving  the  name  of  the  tribe,  the  name  of  the  gem 
on  which  it  is  engraven,  and  the  probable  colour  ; 
and  leave  the  reader  to  study  out  the  history  of 
each,  with  Jacob's  and  Moses'  farewell  descriptions — 
a  good  Bible  lesson  perhaps  and  an  exercise  in  natu- 
ral science  : 


TRIBES. 

r  Reuben, 
-j  Simeon, 
[  Levi, 

iJudah, 
Zebulon, 
Issachar, 
f  Dan, 
I  Gad, 
(  Asher, 


GEMS. 

Sardius, 

Cornelian, 

Topaz, 

Carbuncle, 

Emerald, 

Sapphire, 

Diamond, 

Ligure, 

Agate, 

Amethyst, 


COLOUR. 

Deep  red — venous  blood. 
Brownish  red — venous  blood,  buffy. 
Pale  red-scarlet — arterial  blood. 
Bright  green — foliage  of  spring. 
Blue — the  sky,  cloudless. 
Clear,  transparent — purity. 
Yellowish  green — autumn. 
Clouded — mossy — striped. 
Blue,  violet,  shading  off — sky. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    Tu    MOSES.  73 

TRIBES.  OEMS.  COLOUR. 

fNaphtali,       Beryl,  Pale  grayish  green — sea. 

4    -j  Joseph,        I  chalc'eclony,  }  Variegated-striped. 

[Benjamin,      Jasper,  Colours  various — brown,  yellow,  white. 

Whilst  the  reader  may  amuse,  and  entertain,  or 
perhaps,  instruct  himself,  in  studying  these  mate- 
rials of  the  jeweller  and  the  lapidary  in  learning  the 
language  of  gems  and  applying  it  to  the  patriarchs 
and  their  tribes  respectively,  we  may,  with  certainty 
deduce  this  lesson  from  the  breastplate,  viz.  :  that 
in  the  use  of  the  jewels  it  puts  forth  the  high  esti- 
mate the  Lord  sets  upon  the  tribes  of  Israel,  whose 
memorial  is  placed  on  the  breast  of  the  high  priest, 
to  intimate  God's  perpetual  remembrance  of  his 
church.  Besides,  from  their  being  called,  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  the  lights  and  perfections,  it  is 
obvious  to  infer,  that  the  high  priest  was  to  be  a 
centre  from  which  light,  learning,  knowledge,  should 
radiate,  and  moral  perfections  be  diffused  and  cher- 
ished among  the  twelve  tribes.  And,  although  we 
know  not  the  manner  of  their  communication,  yet  it 
is  plain  from  Ezra  ii.  63,  and  Nehemiah  vii.  65,  that 
Israel  was  in  the  habit  of  seeking  divine  directions 
in  the  use  of  these  contents  of  the  breastplate.  A 
question  arose  as  to  the  right  of  the  descendants  of 
Barzillai  the  Gileadite,  to  the  priesthood.  Upon 
searching  the  records  their  names  were  not  found. 
"And  the  Tirshatha  said  unto  them,  that  they  should 
not  eat  of  the  most  holy  things,  till  there  stood  up  a 
priest  with  Urim  and  with  Thummim." 


74  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

In  the  ends  of  this  breastplate  were  two  rings  and 
chains  by  which  it  was  to  be  fastened  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  dress.  Ver.  22,  23  :  "And  thou  shalt 
make  upon  the  breastplate  chains  at  the  ends  of 
wreathen  work  of  pure  gold.  And  thou  shalt  make 
upon  the  breastplate  two  rings  of  gold,  and  shalt  put 
the  two  rings  on  the  two  ends  of  the  breastplate." 
The  chains  were  attached  to  the  rings  and  the  other 
ends  of  them  to  ouches  or  eyelet  holes  in  the  shoulder 
pieces  of  the  ephod. 

Ephod  is  a  Hebrew  word  which  signifies  a  thing 
hound — firmly  attached.  Our  translators  thought 
best  to  adopt  instead  of  translating  it.  It  might  be 
rendered  a  bodice^  a  waistcoat,  a  vest,  or  spencer  ; 
being  a  garment  whose  base  or  ground  was  fine 
twined  linen,  on  which  were  elegant  embroidery  or 
cunning  work  "of  gold,  blue,  and  purple,  and  scar- 
let." Exod.  xxxix.  4,  5  :  "  They  made  shoulder 
pieces  for  it,  to  couple  it  together  ;  by  the  two  edges 
was  it  coupled  together.  And  the  curious  girdle  of 
his  ephod,  that  was  upon  it,  was  of  the  same,  ac- 
cording to  the  work  thereof."  Yer.  6  :  "And  they 
wi'ought  onyx  stones — a  species  of  chalcedony — 
enclosed  in  ouches  or  settings  of  gold,  graven,  as 
signets  are  graven,  with  the  names  of  the  children 
of  Israel.  And  he  put  them  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
ephod,  that  they  should  be  stones  for  a  memorial  to 
the  children  of  Israel."  "Six  of  their  names  on 
one  stone,  and  the  other  six  names  of  the  rest  on 
the  other  stone,  according  to  their  birth."     These 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  75 

were  connected  by  the  two  wreathen  chains  of  gold 
respectively,  with  the  upper  corners  of  the  breast- 
plate ;  the  lower  part  being  bound  with  a  lace  of 
blue,  passing  through  eyelet  holes  or  ouches  of  gold, 
to  the  girdle  ;  which  seems  to  have  passed  over  the 
])ody  of  the  ephod,  binding  firmly  and  receiving  the 
bands  which  fastened  the  lower  edge  of  the  breast- 
plate. All  these,  viz.,  the  ephod  or  bodice,  the  gir- 
dle, the  breastplate  and  the  shoulder  pieces,  includ- 
ing the  engraved  onyx  stones,  seems  to  be  included 
sometimes  under  the  name  ephod.  This  article  of 
dress  thus  becomes  the  chief  and  distinctive  garment 
of  the  high  priest. 

The  next,  passing  inward,  is  the  robe  of  the  ephod. 
''And  thou  shalt  make  the  robe  of  the  ephod,  all  of 
blue,"  Exod.  xxviii.  31.  ''And  there  was  a  hole  in 
the  midst  of  the  robe,  as  the  hole  of  an  habergeon, 
with  a  band  round  about  the  hole,  that  it  should  not 
rend,"  xxxix.  2,  3,  &c.  This  was  ornamented  upon 
the  hems,  or  skirts,  with  golden  bells,  and  pome- 
granates of  blue  scarlet  and  linen.  "And  it  shall  be 
upon  Aaron  to  minister  ;  and  his  sound  shall  be 
heard  when  he  goeth  in  unto  the  holy  place  before 
the  Lord  ;  and  when  he  cometh  out,  that  he  die  not." 

"The  broidered  coat  was  of  fine  twined  hnen," 
not  probably  different  from  those  made  for  Aaron's 
sons,  except  in  the  matter  of  the  embroidering.  Ver. 
27  and  xxviii.  4,  39,  40  and  42  :  "And  thou  shalt 
make  linen  breeches  to  cover  their  nakedness,  from 
the  loins  even  unto  the  thighs  they  shall  reach." 


76  THE    TABERNACLE,    OE 

The  mitre  or  head  dress  of  Aaron  was  also  made 
of  fine  linen.  "  And  they  made  the  plate  of  the 
holj  crown  of  pure  gold,  and  wrote  upon  it  a 
writing,  like  to  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  holiness 
TO  THE  Lord,"  xxxix.  30,31.  "And  they  tied 
unto  it  a  lace  of  blue,  to  fasten  it  on  high  on  the 
mitre." 

The  symbolic  meaning  of  the  high  priest's  dress 
stands  out  pretty  prominently.  We  have  noted  the 
items,  following  for  the  most  part,  the  order  of 
Moses'  description.  Let  us  now  reverse  this  order 
and  begin  at  the  very  body  of  the  man  himself. 
(1)  He  must  be  free  from  defect,  or  deformity,  either 
natural  or  from  being  maimed  and  deprived  of  any 
faculty  or  member  common  to  man.  (2)  He  must  be 
washed  with  water  at  the  Laver,  before  he  can  be 
arrayed  in  his  pontifical  dress.  This  bespeaks  the 
same  truth  with  the  golden  plate  of  the  mitre; 
purity;  not  consecration  merely,  or  dedication  to 
sacred  use ;  but  purity,  actual  freedom  from  all  de- 
filement in  a  moral  respect.  "  Be  ye  clean  that  bear 
the  vessels  of  the  Lord." 

(3)  The  same  is  taught  by  the  fine,  white  linen, 
that  forms  the  basis  of  all  the  garments  except  the 
ephod.  The  Levite  singers  at  the  dedication  of  the 
first  temple,  were  "  arrayed  in  white  linen,"  2  Chron. 
V.  12.  And  the  fine  linen,  in  Rev.  xix.  8,  clean 
and  white — is  "the  righteousness  of  saints."  This 
linen  tunic  or  under  garment,  reached  from  the 
neck  to   the  ancles,  as   was  the  custom   in  all  the 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  77 

eastern  world ;  we  are  not  informed  what  parts  of 
it  were  embroidered  :  no  doubt  the  sleeves  and  tie 
part,  which  extended  below  the  robe  of  blue,  were 
gorgeously  ornamented.  Thus  holiness  and  beauty 
— the  beauty  of  holiness  shone  forth. 

(4)  Next  comes  the  robe  of  blue,  which  reached 
probably  from  the  neck  to  or  below  the  knees,  and 
which  with  its  golden  bells  and  artificial  pomegranates 
may  remind  us  of  the  blue  heavens  above  us  and  the 
fruitful  earth  beneath,  of  which  the  robe  bears  the 
richest  mineral  and  vegetable  products. 

(5)  The  ephod,  with  its  curious  embroidered  gir- 
dle, its  breastplate  of  judgment — its  Urim  and 
Thummim,  with  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes 
thereon  and  also  on  the  two  shoulder  pieces,  be- 
speaks the  solemn  dedication  of  the  tribes,  who  are 
the  church,  to  the  service  of  God :  the  light  the 
knowledge,  the  beauty,  the  glory  of  the  Apostle  and 
High  Priest  of  our  profession.  The  mitre  or  crown 
proclaims  the  grand  end  of  all  the  doings,  the  teach- 
ings, the  worship  of  the  church,  to  be  the  glory  of 
God. 

(6)  The  high  priest,  thus  fully  and  richly  en- 
robed, is  an  official  type  of  Jesus — God  manifest  in 
the  flesh,  in  all  the  fulness  of  his  qualifications  for 
the  work  his  Father  sent  him  to  accomplish. 

7* 


78  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER  XI. 
Ttie  Tabernacle,  and  its   Court. 

It  will  promote  perspicuity,  in  our  description,  if 
we  attend  first  to  the  more  solid  parts — the  frame- 
work of  the  building.  And  the  materials  must  be 
looked  into  :  they  are  wood,  brass,  silver,  and  gold. 
"  And  he  made  boards  for  the  tabernacle,  of  shittim 
wood,  standing.  The  length  of  a  board  was  ten 
cubits — probably  fifteen  feet ;  and  the  breadth  of  a 
board  one  cubit  and  a  half — twenty-seven  inches." 
(See  Exod.  xxxvi.  20,  &c.)  Each  board  had  two 
tenons  at  one  end.  "  Thus  did  he  make  for  all  the 
boards  of  the  tabernacle :  twenty  boards  for  the 
south  side,  southward  :  and  forty  sockets  of  silver  he 
made  under  the  twenty  boards."  Of  course,  at  the 
cubit  of  eighteen  inches,  this  determines  the  length 
of  the  building  to  be  forty-five  feet.  The  tAvo 
sockets  under  each  board  were  driven  into  the 
ground  and  the  boards  erected,  placing  the  tenons 
in  the  sockets.  The  same  number  of  boards  and 
sockets  were  required  for  the  north  side.  '^  And 
for  the  side — or  end — of  the  tabernacle  westward 
he  made  six  boards" — which  determines  the  width 
of  the  building  to  be  thirteen  and  a  half  feet.    For 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    MOSES.  79 

the  east  end  "  two  boards  were  made  for  the  corners.'* 
"  And  thej  were  coupled  beneath,  and  coupled 
together  at  the  head  thereof,  to  one  ring :  thus  he 
did  to  both  of  them  in  both  the  corners."  These 
corner  boards,  facing  the  east,  thus  constituted  a 
brace  and  support  to  the  sides  north  and  south ; 
whilst  thej  became  door-jambs,  of  eighteen  inches, 
leaving  the  door  or  gateway  into  the  building,  ten 
feet  and  a  half  wide.  "  And  he  overlaid  the  boards 
with  gold,  and  made  their  rings  of  gold,  to  be 
places  for  the  bars,  and  overlaid  the  bars  with  gold." 
These  bars  he  made  of  shittim  wood ;  five  for  the 
boards  on  the  sides  north  and  south  and  five  for  the 
boards  on  the  west  end.  The  side  bars,  except  the 
middle  one,  appear  not  to  have  extended  the  whole 
length  of  the  tabernacle,  for  it  is  said  "  he  made  the 
middle  bar  to  shoot  through  the  boards,  i.  e.  the 
rings  of  the  boards  from  the  one  end  to  the  other." 
This  building  is  divided  into  two  apartments  by  a 
vail,  placed  across  it,  probably — (for  the  record 
does  not  determine  this) — one  third  of  the  distance 
from  the  western  end.  Four  wooden  pillars,  over- 
laid with  gold  and  resting  on  sockets  of  silver  sup- 
port this  vail.  A  similar  provision  is  made  for  the 
door,  except  that  the  pillars  are  five  in  number  and 
must  have  been  placed  one  at  each  side  in  close  con- 
nection with  the  corner  boards  ;  which  would  leave 
but  two  and  a  half  feet  for  each  of  the  four  doors. 
These  pillars  were  overlaid  with  gold  and  had 
golden  fillets  or  rings   at  their  chapiters  or  orna- 


80  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

mental  heads ;  "  but  their  five  sockets  were  of 
brass." 

Thus,  Ave  have  the  frame  of  a  building — an  up- 
right structure,  three  sides  closed  and  compacted, 
the  fourth  partly  open,  with  its  five  pillars,  and  a 
row  of  four  pillars  dividing  ofi"  about  one  third  of 
it,  at  the  west  end ;  all  presenting  an  exterior  of 
burnished,  glittering  gold.  We  have,  as  yet  no 
roof;  and  can  nowhere  find  in  the  record,  any  ac- 
count at  all  of  a  floor. 

Let  us  now  proceed  with  the  less  solid,  but  not 
less  significant  parts  of  it :  and  let  us  follow  Moses  : 
beginning  within,  and  working  outward.  And  here, 
we  may  remark  as  to  the  materials,  it  is  probable 
the  prohibition,  Exod.  xxxvi.  5-7,  has  especial  re- 
ference to  these  :  "  The  people  bring  much  more 
than  enough  for  the  service  of  the  work,  which  the 
Lord  commanded  to  make.  And  Moses  gave  com- 
mandment, and  they  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed 
throughout  the  camp,  saying.  Let  neither  man  nor 
woman  make  any  more  work  for  the  ofi'ering  of  the 
sanctuary.  So  the  people  were  restrained  from 
bringing.  For  the  stufi"  they  had  was  sufficient  for 
all  the  work  to  make  it,  and  too  much." 

The  inner  curtains  were  made  of  fine  twined 
linen ;  this  was  the  ground  upon  which  were  wrought 
cherubim  of  blue  and  purple  and  scarlet.  Of  these 
curtains  there  were  ten,  all  alike  in  size  and  work- 
manship :  being  twenty-eight  cubits — forty-two  feet 
long,  and  four  cubits — six  feet  wide.     Five  of  these 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  81 

were  fastened  together  by  fifty  loops  of  blue  in 
the  edges  or  selvidge ;  and  so  of  the  other  five ; 
(see  chap.  xxvi.  5,  6,)  and  thus  we  have  two 
immense  curtains  or  sheets  of  embroidered  linen, 
each  forty-two  feet  by  thirty;  and  when  these 
two  are  united  by  the  taches  of  gold,  and  they 
become  "one  tabernacle,"  it  is  sixty  feet  by  forty- 
two. 

Now,  if  this  large  cloth  be  suspended  by  hooks 
hanging  nine  inches  below  the  upper  ends  of  the 
boards  all  round,  it  will  constitute  the  lining  of  the 
walls  on  the  two  sides  and  the  west  end,  and  become 
a  ceiling :  for  the  length  of  the  building  is  forty-five, 
and  the  height  of  it  fifteen,  making  sixty  the  precise 
length  of  the  two  sets  of  curtains,  when  clasped 
together  by  the  fifty  golden  taches :  and  the  two 
sides  equal  thirty  feet,  to  which  add  the  width,  and 
you  have  forty-three  and  a  half ;  whereas  the  cur- 
tains, severally,  before  their  attachment,  were  forty- 
two  feet  long.  Thus  we  stand  within  a  chamber 
forty-five  by  thirteen  and  a  half  feet,  and  fifteen 
high;  and  we  behold  nothing  but  the  beautiful 
white  linen,  ornamented  with  cherubim  of  blue,  and 
purple,  and  scarlet.  The  partition  we  have  not  yet 
erected.  This  is  constructed  of  the  same  material, 
except  that  the  blue  seems  to  be  the  ground.  Chap, 
xxvi.  31 :  "  Thou  shalt  make  a  vail  of  blue,  and 
purple,  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen  of  cunning 
work  :  with  cherubim  shall  it  be  made.  And  thou 
shalt  hang  it  upon  four  pillars  of  shittim  wood  over- 


82  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

laid  with  gold :  their  hooks  shall  be  of  gold,  upon 
the  four  sockets  of  silver."  And,  ver.  36,  "  Thou 
shalt  make  a  hano-ino;  for  the  door  of  the  tent,  of 
blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen, 
wrought  with  needle-work." 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  omission  of  any 
flooring  for  the  tent.  Two  other  items  of  seeming 
necessity  are  wanting  in  the  description,  and  left  to 
be  suggested  by  their  necessity:  viz.,  a  cross-tie  on 
the  eastern  end,  at  the  top ;  and  some  support  to 
the  roof,  to  prevent  the  heavy  outer  coverings  from 
sagging  down  and  forming  a  dish-like  cavity,  in 
which  rain  would  lodge,  to  the  great  inconvenience 
and  detriment  of  the  whole  building  and  its  furni- 
ture. How  this  was  effected,  and  of  what  material, 
we  are  not  informed ;  but  some  upbearers  there 
must  have  been,  to  form  a  pediment  or  slope  to  the 
roof.  And  this  will  appear  as  we  proceed  with  the 
outside  coverings,  which  are  three. 

The  first  is  composed  of  hair-cloth.  Exod.  xxvi. 
7-13 :  ^'  And  thou  shalt  make  curtains  of  goats' 
hair  to  be  a  covering  upon  the  tabernacle :  eleven 
curtains  shalt  thou  make."  Their  length  thirty 
cubits,  forty-five  feet ;  their  breadth  four  cubits, 
six  feet.  They  are  coupled  together,  five  in  one 
sheet  and  six  in  the  other ;  and  these  two  great  sec- 
tions are  coupled  together  by  fifty  taches  or  clasps 
of  brass.  Then  the  whole  is  laid  over  the  building 
outside,  as  were  the  linen  curtains  hung  inside ;  ex- 
cept that  the  additional  sixth  or  eleventh  curtain  is 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  83 

folded  half  over  or  under  its  other  half— ^'  and  shalt 
double  the  sixth  curtain   in  the  fore   front   of  the 
tabernacle."     This  gives  strength  and  binds  it  the 
more  firmly.     From  "the  fore   front,"  along  the 
top,  to  the  west  end  is   fortj-five  feet ;   add  fifteen 
feet  from  there  to  the  lower  ends  of  the  boards,  and 
jou   have  sixty  feet :   i.  e.,  six   feet  less  than  the 
curtains  when  all  attached  into  one.     Of  this  sur- 
plus  three  feet  are  taken  up  by  the  fold  just  men- 
tioned ;    and,  ver.  12,  the  other  three  are  folded  in 
like  manner  at  the  bottom  next  the  ground.     From 
the  lower  ends  of  the  boards  over  the  top   to   the 
lower  ends  on  the  other  side  is   forty-three  and   a 
half  feet :   but  the  hair-cloth  curtains  are  forty-five 
feet.     This  surplus  cubit  appears  to  be  divided,  so 
as  to  reach  nine  inches  below  the  boards  "  on  this 
side  and  on  that  side,  to  cover  it."     Thus  we  have 
a   black  tent,  such,  for  colour  and  texture,  as  are 
seen  in  that  country  to  the  present  time :   the  gold 
being  completely  enveloped  and  concealed ;   inside 
by  the  hnen  emfeoidered  curtain,  outside  by  the 
goats'  hair-cloth. 

Besides  this,  there  were  two  other  coverings  over 
the  Ark.  xxxvi.  19 :  "  And  he  made  a  covering 
for  the  tent  of  rams'  skins  dyed  red  ;  and  a  cover- 
ing of  badgers'  skins  above  that."  The  rams'  skins, 
or,  as  we  would  now  call  them,  the  morocco  leather 
covering,  must  have  been  composed  of  many  pieces 
firmly  sewed  together.  So  also  must  the  badgers' 
skins,    this   animal    being  smaller  than  the  other. 


84  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Both  these  covers  are  for  utility,  and  not  for  orna- 
ment. What  animal  was  meant  by  the  word  ren- 
dered badger,  is  not  certainly  determined :  nor  is  it 
our  business,  at  least  it  is  not  indispensable  for  our 
present  purpose  to  inquire.  The  uses  to  which 
these  skins  were  applied  evince  their  nature.  In 
the  days  of  Ezekiel,  nearly  nine  hundred  years 
later,  we  find  a  reference  to  them,  chap.  xvi.  10  : 
he  reminds  Israel  of  these  very  times  of  sojourn 
and  the  low  depression  of  the  nation,  and  their  help- 
less estate :  "I  clothed  thee  also  with  br older ed 
work,  and  shod  thee  with  badgers'  skin,"  &c. 
These,  therefore,  made  a  thick  and  strong  leather, 
impervious  to  rain,  and  suitable  for  shoes.  So  in 
Num.  iv.  10-14,  the  priests  are  directed  to  pack  up 
the  candlestick  and  all  its  appurtenances,  the  in- 
cense altar,  and  all  the  instruments  of  ministry,  and 
^'put  them  in  a  cloth  of  blue,"  and  "the  censer, 
the  flesh-hooks,  and  the  shovels,  and  the  basins,  and 
all  the  vessels  of  the  altar — in  a  purple  cloth;"  all, 
after  being  thus  covered  with  cloth,  are  to  be  cov- 
ered with  a  covering  of  badger  skins.  This  makes 
it  evident  what  was  the  character  of  these  skins, 
and  of  the  leather  made  of  them,  if  indeed  it  w^as 
dressed  at  all. 

The  size  of  these  two  coverings  is  not  given  ; 
and  the  mode  of  attaching  them  to  the  building 
is  left  for  us  to  imagine.  From  their  obvious 
use,  w^e  imagine  they  extended  simply  upon  the 
top  and   a  short   distance   beyond,  so   as   to   form 


THE    GIOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  85 

a  suitable  eave,  to  throw  the  water  off  the  tent  all 
round. 

Before  we  enquire  into  the  symbolic  meaning  of 
this  structure,  let  us  construct  "the  court  of  the 
tabernacle."  This  was  an  enclosure  of  one  hun- 
dred cubits  by  fifty — one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  by 
seventy-five.  Like  the  tabernacle,  the  longer  sides 
of  this  parallelogram  extended  east  and  west,  and 
the  gate  faced  the  east.  "  The  hangings  of  the 
court  were  of  fine  twined  linen,  a  hundred  cubits : 
their  pillars  were  twenty,  and  their  brazen  sockets 
twenty ;  the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and  their  fillets 
were  of  silver,"  Exod.  xxxviii.  9,  10.  The  pillars 
themselves  of  brass,  xxxvii.  10,  11.  The  height  of 
this  curtain  wall  of  fine  white  linen  was  five  cubits, 
seven  and  a  half  feet.  "  And  for  the  gate  of  the 
court  shall  be  a  hanging  of  twenty  cubits,  of  blue, 
and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen, 
wrought  with  needle-Avork :  and  their  pillars  shall 
be  four  and  their  sockets  four,"  xxvii.  16.  Thus, 
we  have  an  enclosure  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
by  seventy-five :  the  three  sides,  north,  south,  and 
west,  shut  in  by  white  linen  curtains,  seven  and  a 
half  feet  in  height,  suspended  by  silver  hooks  and 
fillets  upon  fifty  pillars  of  brass,  set  in  sockets  of 
brass,  and  their  capitals  overlaid  with  silver :  the 
remaining,  or  eastern,  side  is  enclosed  in  the  same 
manner,  except  that  an  opening  of  twenty  cubits, 
or  thirty  feet,  in  the  centre  is  left  for  a  gateway ; 
whilst  the  fifteen  cubits  on  each  side  of  it  are  shut 


86  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

up  with  the  white  linen.  "What  was  the  character 
of  the  needle-work  which  distinguished  the  gate  cur- 
tain we  are  not  expressly  informed  ;  but  the  high 
presumption  is,  that  it  was  the  same  as  the  interior 
curtains  of  the  tabernacle ;   viz.,  cherubim. 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  87 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Symbolic  Meaning  of  the  Tabernacle  and  its  Court. 

The  general  symbolic  meaning  of  the  tabernacle 
and  its  court  was  The  Church  of  God.  The  tab- 
ernacle, with  all  that  appertains  thereunto,  is  a  vis- 
ible type  of  the  visible  kingdom  of  our  Lord  upon 
earth.  As  related  to  time,  it  is  divided  into  three 
dispensations,  the  patriarchal,  the  Mosaic,  and  the 
Messianic.  The  patriarchal  dispensation  extends 
from  the  first  revelation  of  mercy — the  proto-euan- 
gellion^  given  to  Adam  in  paradise,  to  this  organiza- 
tion under  Moses  ;  being  two  thousand  five  hundred 
and  eight  years.  The  Mosaic,  from  this  period,  A. 
M.  2508,  to  Pentecost  A.  D.  34,  a  duration  of  one 
thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  years.  The 
Messianic  period  of  the  church  extends  from  A.  D. 
34,  until  the  second  personal  advent ;  its  precise 
limit  and  duration  are  known  only  to  the  King  him- 
self. "  But  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shall  take 
the  kingdom,  and  possess  the  kingdom  for  ever, 
even  for  ever  and  ever,"  Dan.  vii.  18. 

Two  proofs — rather  clases  of  proofs  of  this 
are  presented.  The  former  is  the  suitableness  or 
adaptation  of  these  entire  structures  and  arrange- 
ments to  typify  the  church.     And  here  note, 


88  THE    TABERXACLE,    OR 

1.  The  court  is  the  larger  space  of  the  enclosure ; 
and  that  into  which  is  the  wider  entrance ;  though 
we  have  no  express  statement  to  that  amount,  it  is 
almost  certain,  the  common  people  were  permitted 
to  enter  it.  Certainly  the  offerer  of  a  living  sacri- 
fice was  allowed  to  enter,  for  he  must  bring  his  offer- 
ing to  the  priest  at  the  altar  and  there  lay  his  hand 
on  its  head.  And  in  John's  vision.  Rev.  xi.  2,  he 
is  directed  to  leave  the  court  out,  for  the  reason, 
that  it  is  to  be  trodden  under  foot.  This  refers  to 
a  period  then  future  ;  but  it  shows  that  the  court, 
as  was  that  of  the  temple,  is  less  pure  and  sacred 
than  the  other  enclosures — an  idea  plainly  inferable 
from  its  flimsy  material — its  inferiority  as  to  expense 
and  beauty,  and  its  being  uncovered.  All  this  suits 
it  to  represent  the  less  organized  and  more 
loose  and  undefined  religious  observances  of  the  first 
period,  during  which  there  was  no  ofiicial  priesthood, 
nor  any  specified  ordinances  of  divine  service.  The 
necessity  of  a  suffering  Redeemer,  as  exhibited  in 
the  altar ;  and  the  necessity  of  purification,  as  set 
forth  by  the  laver  (both  of  which  are  in  the  court) 
this  early  church  had.  But  it  lacked  many  advan- 
tages guaranteed  in  the  second. 

2.  The  Cherubim — the  well-known  types  of  the 
messengers  of  mercy — on  the  curtains  of  the  gate, 
constitute  a  standing  invitation  to  the  outer  world, 
to  enter  in  and  engage  in  the  true  worship  of  the 
true  God. 

3.  The  smoke  and  flame  of  the  burning  altar, 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  89 

which  were  possessed  by  the  church  from  the  begin- 
ning, are  here  suited  to  express  the  faith  of  the  wor- 
shippers, in  the  promised  Messiah ;  and  also  to  call 
the  nations  to  dedicate  themselves  to  God. 

II.  The  holy  place  into  which  the  priests  only 
were  permitted  to  enter,  represents,  the  Mosaic 
economy — an  advanced  position.  Here  the  minis- 
tering priests  are  surrounded  oiv^ll  sides  by  the 
golden  walls ;  and  the  cherubim  of  glory,  on  the 
pure  and  fine  twined  linen,  constantly  remind  them 
of  that  purity  symbolized  by  the  laver,  at  which 
they  must  wash  before  their  entrance,  and  of  their 
obligations  to  bear  'on  more  than  angelic  wings, 
to  a  lost  world,  the  message  of  salvation  by  the 
blood  of  the  sacrificed  lamb ;  without  offering  of 
which  they  themselves  cannot  enter.  Here  they 
have  the  light  of  the  candlestick — the  light  of  the 
world — to  guide  their  feet  in  the  path  of  duty. 
Here  they  have  the  bread  of  heaven  to  nourish 
and  nerve  them  up  to  the  solemn  and  important 
duties  of  their  office  of  ministering  between  the 
living  and  the  dead ;  and  of  bringing  the  world  to 
bow  at  the  feet  of  Messiah. 

Here,  too,  they  have  the  incense  from  the  altar,  re- 
minding them  of  our  Advocate  with  the  Father  ;  and 
thereby  pointing  to  a  still  holier  and  more  glorious 
state  of  the  church  yet  future ;  into  which  she  shall 
enter,  when  the  middle  wall  of  partition  shall  be 
removed  and  the  vail  be  rent ;  this  signifying,  that 
the  way  is  open  into  the  holiest  of  all. 

8  * 


90  THE   TABERNACLE,    OE 

III.  The  most  holy  apartment  of  this  building,  is 
therefore  by  itself  well  adapted  to  typify  the  gos- 
pel church,  with  its  newly-fledged  and  swift-winged 
ministry ;  its  higher  measure  of  purity ;  its  fuller 
and  clearer  exhibitions  of  the  mercy  which  covers 
the  law  and  proclaims  its  perfect  fulfilment ;  whilst 
the  atonement  thereon  made,  shows  the  efficacy  of 
the  great  sacrifice  for  sin  ;  and  the  consequent  par- 
don of  all  who  flee  to  the  Rock  of  Ages  for  protec- 
tion in  obedience,  by  the  fulfilment  of  law,  both 
preceptive  and  penal,  consummates  the  work  of 
Messiah  and  promises  the  extension  of  its  glorious 
benefits  over  the  whole  earth.  This  spread  of  the 
kingdom  is  exhibited  by  the  double  symbols — the 
cherubim  on  the  walls  and  ceilings ;  and  by  those 
of  gold  on  the  mercy-seat. 

We  proceed  to  the  second  class  of  proofs,  that  the 
tabernacle  symbolizes  the  church,  viz.  direct  Scrip- 
ture testimony.  And  (1)  when  God  gave  directions 
for  building  this  tent,  he  said,  "  Let  them  make  me  a 
sanctuary  ;  that  I  may  dwell  among  them,"  Exod. 
XXV.  8.  "  And  I  will  dwell  among  the  children  of 
Israel  and  will  be  their  God,"  Exod.  xxix.  45.  "I 
the  Lord  dwell  among  the  children  of  Israel,"  Num. 
XXXV.  34  :  (See  Ps.  ix.  11  :  cxxxv.  21 :  Ixxx.  1 : 
Ixxxvi.  2.)  (2)  Jacob  said,  after  his  vision  of  the 
ladder,  "  This  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God, 
9Aid  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven,"  Gen.  xxviii.  17. 
"Wherever  God  makes  himself  known  to  the  souls  of 
his  people,  that  is  his  house.     ''But  will   God  in 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    MOSES.  91 

very  deed  dwell  with  men  on  the  earth  ?  Behold, 
heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain 
thee,  how  much  less  this  house  which  I  have  built?" 
1  Chron.  vi.  18.  The  tabernacle  is  often  called  the 
house  of  God.  Josh.  ix.  23  :  Jud.  xx.  18,  26,  31  : 
and  so  is  the  temple  continually.  (3)  He  has  estab- 
lished the  bright,  shining  glory  as  the  token  and 
evidence  of  his  presence  :  the  pillar  of  fire,  the  glory 
in  the  tabernacle  and  especially  above  the  mercy- 
seat  ;  and  the  same  in  the  temple  at  its  dedication, 
are  tokens  of  the  divine  presence  in  the  church. 
But  this  material  dwelling  was  the  type  of  that 
spiritual  temple  of  lively  stones  which  is  erecting  to 
the  praise  of  his  glorious  grace.  "  And  are  built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets, 
Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone ;  in 
whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed  together  groweth 
unto  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord  ;  in  whom  ye  also  are 
builded  too;ether  for  an  habitation  of  God  throuo-h 
the  Spirit,"  Eph.  ii.  20-22.  "  For  ye  are  the  temple 
of  the  living  God  ;  as  God  hath  said,  I  will  dwell  in 
them,  and  walk  in  them ;  and  I  w411  be  their  God 
and  they  shall  be  my  people,"  2  Cor.  vi.  16.  This 
is  quoted  from  Ex.  xxix.  4,  5,  6,  where  the  purpose 
of  these  constructions  is  stated.  And  Lev.  xxvi. 
12,  "  And  I  will  walk  among  you  and  will  be  your 
God,  and  ye  shall  be  my  people."  There  can  be 
no  doubt ;  the  church  of  God  is  one.  "  And  Moses 
verily  was  faithful  in  all  his  house  as  a  servant,  for 
a  testimony  of  those  things  which  were  to  be  spoken 


92 


after ;  but  Christ  as  a  Son  over  his  own  house ; 
whose  house  are  we,  if  we  hold  fast  the  confidence  and 
the  rejoicing  of  the  hope  firm  unto  the  end," 
Heb.  iii.  5,  6. 

There  is  also,  obvious  reference  to  these  decora- 
tions in  that  beautiful  Scripture,  the  xlv.  Psalm : 
"  The  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within :  her 
clothing  is  of  wrought  gold.  She  shall  be  brought 
unto  the  king  in  raiment  of  needle-work."  Exter- 
nally, like  her  divine  Lord,  she  may  appear  as  a 
root  out  of  a  dry  ground — like  a  rough  Arabian 
tent  in  the  wilderness ;  but  internally,  her  moral 
beauty,  excellence  and  glory,  command  the  admira- 
tion of  all  holy  beings,  and  the  angels  of  gloiy 
desire  to  look  upon  her  and  minister  to  her  wants. 

This  house  of  God,  in  which  he  desires  to  dwell, 
this  church  of  the  living  God  in  which  he  has  dwelt 
from  the  days  of  Eden,  must  detain  us  yet  a  little. 
An  important  enquiry  must  be  met,  before  we  pro- 
ceed to  the  collocation  of  the  items  discussed  and 
explained,  and  the  composition  of  the  whole  into  one 
system. 

Is  this  the  visible  or  the  invisible  church  ?  ''  The 
catholic  or  universal  church,  which  is  invisible,  con- 
sists of  the  whole  number  of  the  elect,  that  have 
been,  are,  or  shall  be  gathered  into  one,  under  Christ, 
the  head  thereof ;  and  is  the  spouse,  the  body,  the 
fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all,"  Confession, 
chap.  XXV.  It  is  called  invisible  because  its  mem- 
bers cannot  be  certainly  designated  or  segregated 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    IMOSES.  93 

and  known  of  men,  as  an  organized  body,  bound 
together  by  visible  bonds  and  distinguishable  from 
the  rest  of  mankind.  But,  "  The  visible  church, 
which  is  also  catholic  or  universal  under  the  gospel, 
(not  confined  to  one  nation  as  before  under  the  law,) 
consists  of  all  those  throughout  the  world,  that  pro- 
fess the  true  religion,  together  with  their  children  ; 
and  is  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
house  and  family  of  God,  out  of  which  there  is  no 
ordinary  possibiUty  of  salvation,"  Confession,  xxv. 
This  distinction  is  well  made,  for  it  exists  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  did  exist  in  fact  before  any  part  of 
them  was  written.  "According  as  he  hath  chosen 
us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  that 
we  should  be  holy  and  without  blame  before  him  in 
love,"  Eph.  i.  4.  Plainly,  all  who  shall  be  found 
on  Christ-' s  right  hand,  at  the  judgment,  and  none 
others,  belong  to  the  church  invisible.  To  affirm 
therefore,  that  there  is  no  salvation  out  of  the 
church — if  you  mean  this  body  that  is  not  on  earth 
visible — is,  to  repeat  a  truism,  the  saved  are  the 
saved,  the  elect  are  the  elect.  But  most  unhappily, 
sometimes,  this  assertion  is  made  of  the  church  that 
is  visible,  and  of  course,  under  this  twofold  meaning 
and  application  of  the  term  cliurcli,  a  most  grievous 
and  uncharitable  falsehood  is  set  forth.  Our  Con- 
fession avoids  this  by  the  guarded  language  ''out  of 
which"  —  meaning  outside  of^  unconnected-  with 
which — "there  is  no  ordinary  possibility  of  salva- 
tion."     This    excludes    non-professors,   unbaptized 


94  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

children,  and  heathen  ;  and  decides  nothing  in  their 
cases.  Salvation  is  ordinarily  within  the  visible 
church :  those  that  ultimately  reach  heaven,  the 
elect,  are  ordinarily  gathered  within  the  range  of 
the  means  of  grace  and  offers  of  salvation. 

God  was  never  without  witness  to  his  truth  as 
expressed  in  the  law  given  to  man  at  his  creation, 
and  in  the  gospel  made  known  to  him  in  paradise. 
There  were  always  public  testifiers,  and  testimonies, 
and  visible  ordinances  of  divine  service.  But  the 
very  brief  history  of  the  first  two  thousand  and 
seventy-eight  years,  leaves  us  very  much  in  the  dark 
as  to  details.  Sacrifices  we  know  and  the  cherubic 
figures,  or  their  memorial  history,  continued  through- 
out that  period,  whose  whole  history,  and  chronol- 
ogy, and  political  geography,  including  the  flood,  is 
contained  in  eleven  brief  chapters.  Yet,  it  was  not 
until  the  call  of  Abram,  A.  M.  2078,  and  the  cove- 
nant made  with  him,  that  the  church,  as  far  as  we 
know,  can  properly  be  said  to  have  been  organized ; 
since  that  the  visible  ordinances  pre-existent,  con- 
tinued and  were  confirmed  by  an  external  seal  of 
membership  ;  and  with  a  range  comprehensive  of  all 
the  nations  of  the  world.  This  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham perpetuates  all  and  everything  like  public  ordi- 
nances, and  guarantees  its  own  universality  ;  and 
these,  under  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  righteousness 
of  faith  —  faith  in  the  promised  Messiah,  which 
promise  is  limited  to  his  seed. 

From  Abraham's  call  and  covenant  until  the  exo- 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  95 

dus  and  the  Sinai  covenant — a  period  of  four  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years — his  family  constituted  a  visi- 
ble, social  body,  a  people  separated  and  segregated  : 
and  their  history  leaves  no  room  for  the  question, 
whether  this  was  the  visible  or  the  invisible  church. 
At  Sinai  there  was  a  modification  of  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal covenant,  not  a  withdrawal  certainly,  of  any 
spiritual  privileges  inherited  by  this  people  from 
Abraham,  but  a  restriction  of  its  blessings  to  this 
favoured  family.  We  have  the  formality  of  its  con- 
struction in  Exod.  xix.  3,  &c.  :  "  Moses  went  up 
unto  God,  and  the  Lord  called  unto  him  out  of  the 
mountain,  saying.  Thus  shalt  thou  say  to  the  house 
of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  children  of  Israel :  Ye  have 
seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare 
you  on  eagles'  wings  and  brought  you  unto  myself. 
Now  therefore,  if  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and 
keep  my  covenant,  then  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treas- 
ure unto  me  above  all  people,  for  all  the  earth  is 
mine  :  And  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests 
and  a  holy  nation.  These  are  the  words  which  ye 
shall  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  And  Moses 
came  and  called  for  the  elders  of  the  people,  and 
laid  before  their  faces  all  these  words  which  the  Lord 
commanded  him.  And  all  the  people  answered 
together  and  said  :  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
we  will  do.  And  Moses  returned  the  words  of  the 
people  unto  the  Lord."  This  is  re-stated  by  Moses. 
Deut.  V.  2  :  "  The  Lord  our  God  made  a  covenant 
with   us   in   Horeb."     And   he  proceeds   in  verse 


96  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

seventh,  &c.,  to  recite  the  ten  commands,  as  an 
essential  part  of  the  covenant,  and,  accordingly, 
they  are  repeatedly  called  the  "tables  of  the  cove- 
nant," Deut.  ix.  9,  14,  15.  And  the  Israelites  are 
often  designated  his  "peculiar  people" — his  "pecu- 
liar treasure."  So  long  as  they  should  continue 
faithful  to  their  covenant  engagements,  they  should 
continue  his  peculiar  people,  and  the  blessings  of 
the  Abrahamic  covenant  were  restricted  to  them. 
This  is  the  law  that  was  added  because  of  transo;res- 
sions.  Gal.  iii.  19.  Accordingly  when  Israel  trans- 
gressed the  covenant  by  rejecting  the  promised 
Messiah,  their  covenant  of  peculiar  restrictions  was 
prostrated,  the  middle  wall  of  partition  was  broken 
down,  and  the  covenant  of  Abraham  came  into  ope- 
ration, in  all  its  length  and  breadth  ;  and  the  cast- 
ing away  of  the  Jews  became  "the  reconciling  of  the 
world."  See  Rom.  xi.  Indubitably  this  covenant, 
with  all  its  vast  increase  of  outward,  visible  estab- 
lishments, beyond  the  more  simple  observance  of  the 
Abrahamic  institutions,  relate  to  the  church  visible  ; 
and  the  only  sense  in  which  this  visible  church  is 
catholic,  that  is,  universal,  is  that  quoted  above  from 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  chap,  xxv.,  viz.  :  "not  con- 
fined to  one  nation  as  before  under  the  law."  All 
people,  in  all  the  nations,  who  profess  the  true  relig- 
ion, together  with  their  children,  belong  to  the  vis- 
ible kingdom  of  our  Lord  ;  in  them  he  dwells  as  in 
his  tabernacle  of  old  :  and  this  is  the  living  habita- 
tion on  earth,  of  the  living  God,  symbolized  by  the 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  MOSES.      9T 

tabernacle  of  witness  built  at  Sinai,  according  to  the 
pattern  shown  to  Moses  in  the  holy  mount. 

One  other  proof,  that  the  church  visible  is  typified 
by  the  tabernacle  and  its  court,  is  the  fact  that  all 
the  other  symbolic  representations  are  included 
within  it.  Every  great  doctrine  of  salvation  is 
taught  by  its  typical  furniture  :  and  thus  it  harmo- 
nizes with  the  declaration  of  our  Confession — or 
rather,  the  declaration  harmonizes  with  it  —  that 
"out  of  it  there  is  no  ordinary  possibility  of  salva- 
tion." Salvation  cometh  by  faith,  and  faith  cometh 
by  hearing:  but  how  can  they  hear  without  a 
preacher  ?  and  how  can  they  preach  unless  they 
be  sent  ?  Out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law  and 
the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.  The  angels 
of  mercy,  on  cherubic  wings,  fly  all  abroad,  pro- 
claiming peace  on  earth  ;  good  will  to  men. 


98  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TJte  Putting  Up  and  the  TaJdng  Down. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  first  month  in  the 
second  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  montli,  that  the 
tabernacle  was  reared  up."  This  was  Anno  Mundi 
2509,  and  of  course  Ante  Christum  1491. 

The  work  is  said  to  have  been  done  by  Moses, 
undoubtedly  in  the  same  sense  that  the  manufacture 
and  building  was  done  by  him,  i.  e.,  through  the 
agents  whom  God  qualified  and  Moses  directed  in 
everything.  The  first  move  is  of  course  to  set  in 
the  ground  the  silver  sockets  at  the  proper  distances 
— "  and  fasten  his  sockets,  and  set  up  the  boards 
thereof,  and  put  in  the  bars  thereof,  and  rear  up 
his  pillars."  Thus  the  framework  is  compacted  to- 
gether, Exod.  xl.  There  is  no  express  mention 
made  of  the  suspension  of  the  great  linen  curtain 
that  lines  the  interior ;  neither  in  the  directions  nor 
in  the  execution.  It  is  doubtless  included  in  the 
general  statement,  that  "  he  put  the  covering  of  the 
tent  above  upon  it;"  although  this  seems  to  refer  to 
the  outside  covering  of  hair-cloth  ;  and  the  leathern 
roofs  are  named ;  and  also  the  vail  of  partition  and 
the  door  curtains.     "  And  he  took  and  put  the  teS' 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  99 

timony  into  the  Ark,  and  set  the  staves  on  the  Ark ; 
and  put  the  Mercy-seat  above  upon  the  Ark  ;  and 
he  brought  the  Ark  into  the  tabernacle,  and  set  up 
the  vail  of  the  covering ;  and  covered  the  Ark  of 
the  Testimony  " — that  is,  closed  it  in  with  the  vail, 
suspended  perpendicularly  from  its  own  proper  pil- 
lars. 

The  table  he  set  without  the  vail,  in  the  larger 
apartment,  on  the  north  side ;  and  placed  the  bread 
thereon,  as  commanded. 

The  candlestick  he  set  opposite  the  table  on  the 
south  side,  and  lighted  the  lamps  before  the  Lord ; 
as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

"  And  he  put  the  golden  altar  in  the  tent  of  the 
congregation,  before  the  vail ;  and  he  burnt  sweet 
incense  thereon;   as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses." 

Thus  the  whole  interior  is  furnished.  "  And  he 
put  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  by  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  tent  of  the  congregation,  and 
offered  upon  it  the  burnt-offering  and  the  meat-offer- 
ing ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  Between  the 
altar  and  the  door  of  the  tent,  he  placed  the  laver 
and  put  water  therein."  "And  he  reared  up  the 
court  round  about  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar,  and 
set  up  the  hanging  of  the  court  gate.  So  Moses 
finished  the  work." 

Thus  far,  the  erection  ;  let  us  for  a  moment  mark 
the  contrary  service.  The  record  is  in  Num.  iv. 
5-15 :  "  When  the  camp  setteth  forward,  Aaron 
shall  come,  and  his  sons,  and  they  shall  take  down 


100  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

the  covering  vail,  and  cover  the  Ark  of  Testimony 
with  it.  And  shall  put  thereon  the  covering  of 
badgers'  skins,  and  shall  spread  over  it  a  cloth 
wholly  of  blue,  and  shall  put  in  the  stones  thereof." 
Doubtless  the  blue  cloth  was  spread  first,  or  at  least 
second,  over  the  vail  and  under  the  skins ;  as  in  all 
the  other  cases — the  table,  the  candlestick,  the 
golden  altar,  and  even  the  altar  of  burnt-olFering — 
in  all  instances  the  outside  covers  are  of  badgers' 
skins.  The  table  is  something  peculiar — "  And 
upon  the  table  of  shew  bread  they  shall  spread  a 
cloth  of  blue,  and  put  thereon  the  dishes,  and  the 
spoons,  and  the  bowls,  and  the  covers  to  cover 
withal,  and  the  continual  bread  shall  be  thereon:" 
— the  blue  seems  to  have  been  spread  on  top  of 
the  twelve  loaves ;  then  the  vessels,  and  then  "  they 
shall  spread  upon  them  a  cloth  of  scarlet,  and  cover 
the  same  with  a  covering  of  badgers'  skins."  The 
candlestick  and  its  lamps,  tongs,  snuff-dishes,  &c., 
and  the  incense  altar,  are  covered  with  blue  cloth 
and  skins  as  before,  and  the  bars  adjusted  for  trans- 
portation. Of  the  laver  no  special  mention  is  made : 
it  may  be  included  in  the  package  described  in  ver. 
12  :  "all  the  instruments  of  ministry,"  &c.,  which 
were  packed  in  the  same  method  and  attached  to  a 
bar. 

The  brazen  altar  differs  from  the  other  articles 
in  that  the  cloth  is  to  be  purple :  and  no  mention 
is  made  of  its  separation  into  the  two  parts,  as  de- 
scribed in  Exod.  xxxviii.     The  frame,  or  stand,  and 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  101 

the  grate  are  both  supplied  with  rings  and  staves ; 
and  in  transportation  were  no  doubt  carried  sepa- 
rately. Probably  the  laver  was  among  the  vessels 
thereof,  packed  in  the  grated  basin  for  transporta- 
tion. 

When  this  operation  of  packing  is  finished,  the 
Kohathites,  descendants  of  the  second  son  of  Levi, 
are  introduced  as  the  bearers  of  these  most  precious 
articles — ''After  that,  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall 
come  to  bear  it ;  but  they  shall  not  touch  any  holy 
thing,  lest  they  die.  These  things  are  the  burden 
of  the  sons  of  Kohath  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation."  So  in  ver.  20 :  "  They  shall  not 
go  in  to  see  when  the  holy  things  are  covered,  lest 
they  die."  For  this  reason  none  of  the  covered 
wagons  presented  by  the  princes  "  were  given  to 
the  sons  of  Kohath :  because  the  service  of  the 
sanctuary  belonging  unto  them  was  that  they  should 
bear  upon  their  shoulders,"  chap.  vii.  9.  The  Ger- 
shonites — see  chap.  iv.  24-26 — were  charged  with 
the  transportation  of  the  lighter  and  less  sacred 
parts ;  the  curtains,  and  all  the  covers  of  the  taber- 
nacle and  of  the  court.  To  them  were  assigned  two 
wagons  and  four  oxen,  vii.  7  :  whilst  to  the  sons  of 
Merari,  the  third  son  of  Levi,  were  assigned  the 
boards,  the  bars,  the  pillars,  sockets,  pins,  &c.,  of 
the  tabernacle  and  the  court,  iv.  29-33 :  and  they 
had  four  wagons  and  eight  oxen,  vii.  8,  and  iii. 
86-37. 


102  THE  TABERNACLE,  OR 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Clmid  of  Glory— Pillai'  of  Fire, 

God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all. 
Light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for  the 
eyes  to  behold  the  sun.  Nevertheless,  intense,  ex- 
cessive brightness  overpowers  our  organs  of  vision 
and  causes  pain ;  and,  if  continued,  destroys  the 
organ  itself.  So  Moses  found  it,  when  he  set  up 
the  tabernacle.  "  Then  a  cloud  covered  the  tent 
of  the  congregation,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
filled  the  tabernacle.  And  Moses  Avas  not  able  to 
enter  into  the  tent  of  the  congregation,  because  the 
cloud  abode  thereon,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
filled  the  tabernacle,"  Exod.  xl.  34,  35.  So,  at  the 
dedication  of  the  temple — 1  Kings,  viii.  10,  11 — 
"  The  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  because 
of  the  cloud ;  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled 
the  house  of  the  Lord."  Our  English  word  glory ^ 
derived  from  the  Latin  gloria^  through  the  French, 
expresses,  simply  and  originally,  a  bright,  shining 
light.  But  we  have  almost  ceased  to  use  it  in  the 
original  sense,  and  constantly  employ  it  in  the  sec- 
ondary meaning,  as  the  symbol  of  displayed  excel- 
lence ;  and  that  either  intellectual  or  moral,  or  both 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  103 

combined.  Whenever  high  qualities  are  displayed, 
we  ascribe  glory  to  the  individual :  and  the  highest 
manifestations  of  excellence  call  forth  the  exclama- 
tion and  ascription  of  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest.'* 
There  is,  therefore,  a  manifest  impropriety  in  the 
distinction  sometimes  made  or  intended  by  the 
phrases,  ''the  essential  glory,"  and  "the  declarative 
glory  of  God."  If  glory  is  the  shining  forth  of 
excellence,  it  must  necessarily  be  declarative,  and 
only  declarative,  and  the  use  of  this  as  a  qualifying 
epithet  is  tautological.  Glory  is  the  declaration  of 
excellence. 

Moses  first  saw  this  in  the  burning  bush  on 
Mount  Horeb.  "And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared unto  him  in  a  flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst 
of  a  bush :  and  he  looked,  and,  behold,  the  bush 
burned  with  fire,  and  the  bush  was  not  consumed, 
Exod.  iii.  2-4.  This  bush  typified  the  church  of 
God,  then  enduring  hardness,  in  the  midst  of  the 
brick-kilns  of  Egypt.  But  amid  these  fires  of  per- 
secution, now  as  always,  the  Lord  dwelleth  in  her. 
The  non-consumption  of  the  bush  exhiMts  the  power 
of  Him  that  dwelleth  therein,  to  save  her,  as  on  a 
subsequent  occasion  the  same  Angel  saved  his  three 
friends  in  the  midst  of  the  burning  fiery  furnace. 
Of  course,  this  is  no  created,  but  the  uncreated 
Angel  Redeemer  :  and  Moses  hid  his  face ;  for  he 
was  afraid  to  look  upon  God."  Here  was  no  form 
or  visible  figure  of  God ;  for  when  Moses,  Exod. 
xxxiii.  18-20,  said,  "I  beseech  thee,  shew  me  thy 


104  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

glory ;"  the  Lord  said,  "  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face ; 
for  there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live."  The  bright 
light,  like  a  burning  flame,  was  the  whole  appear- 
ance: and  this  is  the  standing  symbol  of  God's 
gracious  presence ;  or,  we  may  say,  this  non-consuming 
fire,  was  a  sign  and  token  of  the  present  Mediator. 
Never  was  it  exhibited,  but  in  connection  with  a  dis- 
pensation of  mercy.  As  conducting  a  dispensation 
of  wrath,  the  same  glorious  personage  "is  a  con- 
suming fire."  "  The  Lord  thy  God  is  he  which 
goeth  before  thee ;  as  a  consuming  fire  thou  shalt 
destroy  them,"  Deut.  ix.  3.  In  this  there  is  a  beau- 
tiful and  philosophical  significance;  the  light  and 
the  heat  of  natural  fire  are  distinct  and  separaljie. 
Light  does  not  consume ;  heat  does.  Light  typifies 
God  our  Redeemer,  in  whom  justice  and  mercy  meet 
together  in  the  salvation  of  his  people ;  the  heat, 
the  fire  has  spent  its  force  on  the  humanity,  which 
he  offered  up  a  burnt-ofi'ering  for  his  people.  But 
his  consuming  heat  accompanies  the  light  of  his 
justice,  in  all  the  fires  of  his  indignation  and  wrath 
upon  the  workers  of  iniquity.  The  Sun  of  right- 
eousness hath  healing  in  his  wings,  only  "to  you 
that  fear  his  name :  but  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all 
that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble :  and  the  day  that 
Cometh  shall  burn  them  up." 

We  hope  our  reader  is  convinced,  that  the  cheru- 
bim of  Eden,  of  Sinai,  of  Chebar,  and  of  Patmos, 
and  the  seraphim  of  Isaiah,  are  a'l  one  and  the 
self-same  symbol ;  and  that  they,  being  always  ex- 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  105 

hibited  in  connection  with  a  ministration  of  mercy, 
are  types  of  the  entire  hving  agency,  which  Messiah 
employs  to  communicate  glad  tidings  to  lost  men. 
If  this  hope  is  Tvell  founded,  may  we  not,  dear 
reader,  rise  to  a  full  assurance  of  hope,  that  the 
bright  lio;ht — the  Shekinah  of  Adam  ;  of  Moses  at 
the  bush,  at  the  Red  Sea,  on  the  summit  of  Sinai, 
between  the  cherubim  over  the  mercy-seat,  above 
the  tent ;  of  Solomon  at  the  dedication  ;  of  Ezekiel 
throughout  his  visions  ;  and  of  John  in  Patmos  ;  you 
will  be  convinced  are  one  and  the  self-same  symbol 
of  God's  presence  in  the  church,  whence  he  dis- 
penses his  mercy  to  lost  men  ?  In  this  hope  we  re- 
mark, 

1.  There  was,  in  all  these  instances  a  bright  light, 
distinct  from  the  cherubim ;  though  constantly  ac- 
companying them  whenever  they  appeared.  In  Gen. 
iii.  24,  it  is  called  "  a  flaming  sword  which  turned 
every  way  to  guard  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life." 
In  the  bush,  w^e  have  the  light  only — a  brilliant 
flame,  and  so  at  the  Red  Sea.  In  the  tabernacle, 
where  the  cherubim  are  embodied,  the  Shekinah  is 
distinct  and  hovered  over  the  cherubim  and  the  ark. 
So  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  the  glory  shone 
forth  from  the  ark,  and  filled  the  whole  building. 
In  Ezek.  i.  4,  it  is  ^'a  fire  infolding  itself;"  and  in 
X.  4,  19,  "  The  glory  of  the  Lord  went  up  from 
the  cherub — and  the  house  was  filled  with  the 
cloud." 

2.  The  forms  assumed  by  this  bright  light  vary. 


106  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

At  Eden,  as  we  translate,  it  is  "  a  flaming  sword 
which  turned  every  way."  In  Walton's  Polyglot, 
there  is  considerable  variety  of  translation ;  but  all 
implying  a  bright,  fiery  appearance  moving  in  curve 
lines  or  circles :  and  in  Ezekiel  i.  4,  though  the 
words  differ,  the  conception  suggested  is  the  same," 
"a  fire  infolding  itself,"  or  as  in  the  margin,  "  catch- 
ing itself,"  a  vast  circular  flame.  Now,  a  circle 
being  the  natural  symbol  of  eternity,  we  have  here 
an  eternal  light,  a  glory  without  beginning  or  end  : 
and  out  of  this  circle  of  glory,  proceeds  ''  the  like- 
ness of  four  living  creatures" — the  grand  types  of 
the  ministers  of  mercy. 

In  the  bush  at  Horeb,  this  non-consuming  fire  is 
not  described,  as  to  form;  but  "God  called  unto 
him  out  of  the  midst  of  the  bush."  This  is  the 
voice  of  mercy,  as  in  Ezekiel's  non-consuming  fire 
infolding  itself. 

3.  As  before  stated,  the  glory  at  Sinai,  where 
God  the  Redeemer  was  in  the  midst  of  his  chariots, 
twenty  thousand — even  thousands  of  angels,  Ps. 
Ixviii.;  yet  no  specific  form  was  presented;  and  the 
reason  was  given  ;  viz.  lest  afterwards  the  people 
should  make  an  image  and  fall  into  idolatrous  prac- 
tices :  "  For  ye  saw  no  manner  of  similitude  on  the 
day  that  the  Lord  spake  unto  you  in  Horeb  out  of 
the  midst  of  the  fire ;  Lest  ye  corrupt  yourselves, 
and  make  you  a  graven  image,  the  similitude  of  any 
figure,"  Deut.  iv.  15,  16. 

4.  The  form,  of  a  pillar  of  a  cloud  by  day  and 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  107 

of  fire  by  night,  accompanied  the  Israelites  during 
their  entire  journeyings,  from  Succoth  to  Canaan. 
This  was  not  however  a  figure  of  any  animal  or 
natural  object;  but  simply  a  column  rising  and  float- 
ing as  it  were,  in  the  atmosphere,  Exod.  xiii.  21,  22, 
and  xiv.  19,  20 :  and  Num.  x.  34,  35,  36,  "  And 
the  cloud  of  the  Lord  was  upon  them  by  day, 
when  they  went  out  of  the  camp.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  the  ark  set  forward,  that  Moses  said, 
Rise  up  Lord  and  let  thine  enemies  be  scattered ; 
and  let  them  that  hate  thee  flee  before  thee.  And 
when  it  rested,  he  said,  Return,  0  Lord,  unto  the 
many  thousands  of  Israel." 

5.  The  same  is  true,  as  to  the  other  three  appear- 
ances of  the  Shekinah,  or  established  light.  At  the 
dedication  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  temple,  and  in 
the  visions  of  Ezekiel,  we  have  the  brilliant  light — 
the  non-consuming  fire,  distinct  from  the  material 
cherubim  in  the  two  first,  and  the  imagery  in  the 
last.  In  John's  vision,  there  is  a  large  addition  to 
all  other  appearances,  except  perhaps,  Ezekiel's. 
Still  we  have  the  Zoa  separate  from  all  the  brilliant 
lights.  All  these  displays  exhibit  that  true  Light, 
which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world. 


108 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Farther  SytnhoUc  Significance  of  the  ttvo  Preceding  Chapters. 

With  all  reasonable  caution  against  seeking  fanci- 
ful analogies,  and  running  into  too  minute  details, 
we  hope  the  following  will  be  admitted,  as  legitimate 
suggestions,  arising  from  the  matter  of  chapters  xiii. 
and  xiv. 

1.  The  organization  of  the  church  is  accomplished 
by  the  agencies  of  God's  own  appointment.  Aaron 
and  his  sons  and  other  Levites,  no  doubt,  were  em- 
ployed by  Moses,  in  the  first  erection  ;  for  neither 
the  priests,  nor  the  furniture  of  the  tabernacle,  were 
as  yet  formally  consecrated  Avith  the  holy  anointing 
oil.  But  afterwards,  when  the  pillar  of  the  cloud 
had  removed,  the  most  sacred  things  were  handled 
only  by  the  priests  ;  and  other  parts  of  the  holy 
things,  by  other  Levites  in  their  order.  Thus,  all 
the  spiritual  arrangements  toward  the  public  ser- 
vices in  the  church,  were  then  and  are  now  com- 
mitted to  the  various  officers,  duly  called  into  her 
service.  "And  no  man  taketh  this  honour  unto 
himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God^  as  was  Aaron." 
As  there  were  very  many  and  very  various  materials 
worked  into  parts  of  the  building  and  its  furniture, 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    Tu    MOSES.  109 

and  every  part  and  portion,  however  small  and  ap- 
parently insignificant,  was  necessary  in  its  proper 
place,  so  in  the  spiritual  house,  there  are  officers 
and  servants  of  all  grades  necessary,  and  each  one 
has  his  proper  place  and  duty.  It  is  greatly  to  be 
feared  that  public  sentiment  in  the  church  of  our 
day  and  country  has  swung  over  from  that  excess, 
even  to  superstition,  of  reverence  for  the  sacred 
offices  indulged  in  other  days  and  countries,  to  the 
opposite  extreme.  The  officers  of  the  church  do  not 
command  the  respect  and  exercise  the  influence  due 
to  the  office.  But  be  this  as  it  may,  the  collecting 
of  the  materials  for  the  spiritual  temple,  and  their 
arrangement  and  collocation  in  its  sacred  walls,  is  the 
proper  work  of  the  missionaries  symbolized  by  the 
cherubim,  and  the  priesthood  and  Levitical  services. 
"  For  we  are  labourers  together  with  God  :  ye  are 
God's  husbandry,  ye  are  God's  building."  ''Know 
ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God  ?  and  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ?  "  Let  the  men,  who 
aspire  to  minister  in  holy  things,  see  to  it  that  they 
are  themselves  sprinkled  with  atoning  blood,  and 
anointed  with  that  divine  unction  set  forth  in  the  holy 
anointing  oil,  so  shall  they  build  upon  the  chief 
corner-stone.     Therefore, 

2.  These  builders  and  these  carriers  are  under 
very  special  orders  and  are  to  act  with  great  solem- 
nity. As  Moses  was  commanded  to  put  off  his  shoes 
because  the  place  whereon  he  stood  was  holy  ground, 
and  as  the  sons  of  Kohath  Avere  not  allowed  even  to 

10 


110  THE    TABERNACLE,    UR 

look  upon  the  ark  which  they  were  appointed  -to 
carry,  so  Isaiah,  lii.  7-12,  speakhig  of  the  gospel 
day,  exclaims,  "How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains 
are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that 
publisheth  peace;"  and  enjoins,  "Be  ye  clean  that 
bear  the  vessels  of  the  Lord."  Men  that  minister 
in  holy  things  should  themselves  be  holy.  Mere 
official  consecration  is  easily  distinguishable  from 
personal  purity,  and  alas  !  easily  separable  from  it. 
Such  separation  in  fact,  is  doubtless  often  the  ante- 
cedent of  that  want  of  respect  just  alluded  to.  It 
is  scarcely  possible,  even  for  godly  men,  to  exercise 
respectful  regard  toward  ministers  who  have  only 
official  consecration,  but  fail  to  give  evidence  of  per- 
sonal piety.  Even  a  few  such  melancholy  cases  have 
a  pernicious  influence,  and  are  seized  upon  by  the 
ungodly  world,  to  which  they  in  truth  belong,  as 
grounds  of  disparagement  to  the  whole  ministry  and 
the  church.  To  such  traducers  we  would  say,  where- 
fore all  this  reproach  to  the  church  and  her  ministry  ? 
The  church  does  not  profess  omniscience  in  herself, 
nor  perfect  holiness  in  her  public  servants.  She 
does  w^hat  she  can  toward  searching  men's  hearts 
who  are  called  into  her  ministry,  that  she  may  have 
only  holy  hands  to  be  lifted  up  without  wrath  and 
doubting.  But  considering  the  imperfection  of  her 
knowledge  and  the  depths  of  Satan's  cunning  as  he 
dwells  in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  this  world,  it 
is  no  marvel  if,  occasionally,  one  of  yourselves  suc- 
ceeds in  deceiving  her  and  finding  your  way  into 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  Ill 

her  ministry  as  did  a  Judas  among  the  twelve.  But, 
even  could  you  succeed  in  one  out  of  twelve,  and 
thrust  your  man  upon  us,  contrary  to  our  rules  and 
to  the  dictates  of  a  sound  conscience,  what  is  this  to 
glory  over  ?  Is  it  not  to  glory  in  your  own  shame  ? 
Who  is  the  more  reprehensible  ?  Whose  cheek 
should  be  the  more  deeply  mantled  with  the  blush 
of  shame — the  deceiver  or  the  deceived  ?  "  Cursed 
be  the  deceiver  which  hath  in  his  flock  a  male,  and 
voweth,  and  sacrificeth  unto  the  Lord  a  corrupt 
thing." 

3.  May  we  not  learn  a  lesson  from  the  place  of 
this  re-organization  ?  Holy  ground  is  found  in  the 
desert  of  Arabia.  The  ark  and  tabernacle  are  con- 
structed on  the  very  borders  of  a  great  and  howling 
wilderness,  into  which  it  at  once  plunged  and  seemed 
lost  among  the  wild  and  barren  sands.  Does  not 
this  physical  relation,  beautifully  and  forcibly,  point 
out  the  spiritual  relationship  of  the  true  visible 
church,  in  the  midst  of  an  ungodly  world  ?  All 
that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of 
the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father, 
but  is  of  the  world.  How  then  should  the  sanctified 
of  God  find  their  life  and  enjoyment  in  such  a  bar- 
ren wild  ?  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would 
love  his  own  ;  but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world, 
but  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  therefore 
the  world  hateth  you.  And  this  suggests  another 
remark. 

4.  Divine  guidance  is  indispensable.     The  Sheki- 


112  THE    TABEKAACLE,    OR 

nah  must  lead  ;  that  is  the  church  must  always  fol- 
low the  God  of  mercy.  These  are  they  which  follow 
the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.  So  it  was  in  an 
earlier  day.  Abraham  left  his  country  and  his  kin- 
dred at  the  call  of  God,  and  went  out,  not  knowing 
whither  he  went.  He  simply  trusted  in  God,  and, 
watching  the  tokens  of  his  providence,  and  hearken- 
ing to  the  voice  of  his  word,  commenced  the  pilgrim- 
age of  a  long  and  a  happy  life.  A  hundred  and 
five  years  he  wandered,  a  sojourner  in  a  strange 
land,  although  it  was  his  by  covenant  and  sure  to 
be  his  in  possession  by  his  seed.  Here  we  have  no 
continuing  city,  but  following,  not  a  supernatural 
light  of  a  cloud  and  pillar  of  fire,  but  the  more  sure 
word  of  prophecy,  the  people  of  God  now  and 
ever  press  onward  toward  that  glorious  city,  beyond 
this  wilderness  world,  whose  Maker  and  Builder  is 
God.  The  commandment  is  a  lamp  and  the  law  is 
light ;  and  the  path  of  the  just  shineth  more  and 
more  unto  the  perfect  day.  Let  it  evermore  be  our 
concern  to  seek  unto  this  true  Light,  so  shall  we  be 
guided  and  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith 
unto  salvation. 

Sustenance  from  God  is  guaranteed.  He  sends 
none  on  a  warfare  at  his  own  charges ;  but  provides 
all  necessary  good  things.  In  the  thirty-nine  years' 
travel  they  lacked  not  bread  or  clothing.  This  sets 
forth  the  abundant  and  perpetual  supply  of  grace 
to  Zion's  travellers  through  this  barren  desert.  The 
righteous  man  shall  dwell  on  high,  his  place  of  de- 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDINa  TO  MOSES.     113 

fence  shall  be  the  munitions  of  rocks,  bread  shall 
be  given  him,  his  water  shall  be  sure.  "  I  will  abu]:- 
dantlj  bless  her  provision :  I  will  satisfy  her  poor 
with  bread.  I  will  also  clothe  her  priests  with  sal- 
vation: and  her  saints  shall  shout  aloud  for  joy." 
"  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst ;  the 
sun  shall  not  smite  them ;  for  he  that  hath  mercy 
on  them  shall  lead  them,  even  by  the  springs  of 
water  shall  he  guide  them.  I  am  the  bread  of  life: 
he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  never  hunger ;  and  he 
that  belie veth  on  me  shall  never  thirst." 
10  * 


114  THE  TABERNACLE,  OR 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Soly  Anointing   Oil — The   Consecration  of  the  Tabernacle 
and  its  Furniture,  and  of  the  Priesthood. 

Moses  was  directed — Exod.  xxx.  23,  &c. — "  Take 
thou  also  unto  thee,  principal  spices,  of  pure  myrrh 
five  hundred  shekels,  and  of  sweet  cinnamon  half 
so  much,  even  two  hundred  and  fifty  shekels,  and 
of  sweet  calamus  two  hundred  and  fifty  shekels ; 
and  of  cassia  five  hundred  shekels,  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuary ;  and  of  oil  olive  a  hin :  and  thou 
shalt  make  it  an  oil  of  holy  ointment,  an  ointment 
compounded  after  the  art  of  the  apothecary :  it 
shall  be  a  holy  anointing  oil." 

The  workmanship  reveals  the  character  and  at- 
tributes of  the  AYorkman.  "I  will  praise  thee," 
says  the  psalmist,  "  for  I  am  fearfully  and  wonder- 
fully made."  Even  limiting  ourselves  to  the  physi- 
cal organism,  this  is  most  reasonable :  and  in  our 
material  structure,  no  part  is  more  wonderful  than 
the  nervous  systems :  for  whichever  we  look  into, 
we  are  soon  met  with  unsolvable  problems.  What 
is  the  relation  of  the  difiierent  systems — or  parts  of 
the  one  grand  system  ?  How  do  the  sentient  and 
involuntary  nerves  operate  ?     Are  they  telegraphic 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDINa    TO    MOSES.  115 

wires  ?  How  does  the  spirit  influence  the  nerves  of 
motion  ?  How  do  the  respiratory  nerves  keep  up 
the  proper  action  of  the  vital  functions  indepen- 
dently on  mental  action  and  consciousness  ?  How 
do  sensations  run  along  these  infinitesimal  wires ; 
and  upon  reaching  their  grand  centre,  how  do  they 
act  upon  the  sentient  mind  ?  Such  questions  teach 
us  our  ignorance.  Still,  we  see  many  uses  of  these 
mysterious  facts ;  and  our  ignorance  of  modes  does 
not  cut  us  ofi"  from  innumerable  and  very  happy 
results.  The  child  in  years  and  the  child  in  knowl- 
edge are  made  happy  by  beholding  the  beauty  of 
the  rose,  the  lily,  and  the  dahlia ;  and  by  inhaling 
the  odour  of  the  myrrh,  the  cinnamon,  the  calamus, 
and  the  cassia.  The  olfactory  nerves  are  also  sen- 
tinels. Placed,  in  animal  economy  generally,  in  very 
near  proximity  to  the  gate  by  which  the  materials 
must  enter  for  the  support  of  life,  they  stand  ever 
ready  to  give  warning  and  enter  their  protest  against 
unwholesome  food.  Odours  acting  on  these  infi- 
nitely fine  ramifications  of  this  nerve,  serve  as 
direct  and  positive  means  of  happiness ;  and  also 
as  prophylactic  remedies  against  evils.  On  the  the- 
ory that  odours  are  efiluvia,  or  small  particles  em- 
anating from  the  odorous  body  and  drawn  into  con- 
tact with  the  olfactory  nerves,  we  see  how  incon- 
ceivably minute  those  particles  must  be.  The  vase 
once  saturated  with  them  continues  to  send  them 
forth  for  thousands  of  years ;  and  yet  no  perceptible 
diminution  of  its  bulk  or  weight  has  been  detected. 


116  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Thus  we  have  practically  an  idea  of  infinity ;  and 
that  an  infinity  of  felicities :  and  here  is  the  phi- 
losophy of  the  holy  anointing  oil  or  unguent.  It 
is  the  symbol  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  Generator 
of  life  eternal  in  the  soul,  and  of  all  its  graces  and 
felicities  in  time  and  in  eternity. 

There  is  another  compound  of  sweet  spices,  de- 
scribed in  this  chapter,  ver.  34-38,  which  is  not  an 
ointment,  but  simply  a  perfume.  It  consists  of 
equal  parts,  as  we  translate,  of  "  stacte,  and  onycha, 
and  galbanum — with  pure  frankincense — and  thou 
shalt  make  it  a  perfume,  a  confection."  "Part  of 
it  is  to  be  laid  up,  and  put  before  the  testimony  in 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation."  That  these 
are  distinct  is  evident  from  their  composition,  the 
ingredients  of  each  excluding  the  other;  and  ac- 
cordingly they  are  for  different  uses.  Both  are 
composed  of  sweet  spices ;  the  ointment,  for  appli- 
cation to  things  and  men  ;  the  perfume,  to  be  placed 
beside  the  pot  of  manna  in  front  of  the  Ark,  and 
to  be  offered  in  the  censer  and  on  the  golden  Altar. 
This  is  the  more  sacred  and  holy  ;  though,  in  regard 
of  both,  the  prohibition  against  their  use  for  any 
but  the  purposes  explicitly  set  forth,  is  full  and  ex- 
press :  "  Whosoever  compoundeth  any  like  it  (the 
ointment,)  or  whosoever  putteth  any  of  it  upon  a 
stranger,  shall  even  be  cut  off  from  his  people," 
ver.  33.  "  Whosoever  shall  make  like  unto  that  to 
smell  thereto,  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people,"  ver. 
38.     Suspension  or  excommunication  is  the  censure 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  117 

for  each  or  either  offence.  Their  diversity  or  dis- 
tinctness seems  plainly  intimated,  when  the  collec- 
tion of  materials  is  ordered.  Exod.  xxv.  6  :  "  Oil 
for  the  light,  spices  for  anointing  oil,  and  for  sweet 
incense."  The  sacredness  of  both  is  seen  in  the 
prohibition  and  penalty.  The  sweet  incense  is  the 
prayers  of  the  saints  ascending  through  the  agency 
of  our  High  Priest,  and  perfumed  with  his  inter- 
cession. "  Let  my  prayer  be  set  forth  before  thee 
as  incense ;  and  the  lifting  up  of  my  hands  as  the 
evening  sacrifice,"  Ps.  cxli.  2. 

The  holy  anointing  oil  is  the  Spirit  of  grace  and 
the  Spirit  of  office,  descending  upon  the  person  or 
thing  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God. 

The  order  to  consecrate  the  tabernacle,  and  its 
furniture,  and  the  priests,  we  have  in  this  same 
thirtieth  chapter  of  Exodus ;  the  detail  of  its  cere- 
monies in  Lev.  viii.  And  the  first  thing  to  be  ob- 
served is  its  publicity.  "And  Moses  did  as  the 
Lord  commanded  him ;  and  the  assembly  was  gath- 
ered together  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,"  ver.  4.  Doubtless  the  chief  of 
the  elders  and  principal  or  leading  men  out  of  the 
respective  tribes  w^ere  present  to  witness  the  sacred 
inauguration.  The  entire  mass,  of  course,  could 
not  be  present,  so  as  to  hear  and  sec  the  grand  cer- 
emonies. The  people  were  nearly  three  millions  in 
number,  and  the  only  sense  in  which  they  could 
possibly  be  assembled  at  the  tabernacle  door,  was 
by  delegation.     We  learn  from  this,  that  the  people 


118  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

should  be  present  and  express  their  acquiescence  in 
the  ordination  of  their  spiritual  rulers  and  teachers. 
The  matter  of  the  transaction  is  substantially  a 
covenant,  and  the  parties  to  it  should  meet  face  to 
face. 

2.  The  next  step  is  the  ceremony  of  purification : 
"  And  Moses  brought  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and 
washed  them  with  water."  The  laver  stood  before 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and  between  it  and  the 
altar.  The  extent  of  this  operation — Avhether  the 
entire  person  was  washed  or  only  their  hands  and 
their  feet,  is  not  absolutely  determined.  The  latter 
is  the  more  probable  opinion.  It  seems  to  be  sup- 
ported by  Exod.  xxx.  19-21 :  ''  And  Aaron  and 
his  sons  shall  wash  their  hands  and  their  feet  there- 
at." ^' So  they  shall  wash  their  hands  and  their 
feet."  And  xL  31,  32:  "And  Moses  and  Aaron 
and  his  sons  washed  their  feet  thereat — when  they 
came  near  unto  the  altar  they  washed."  So,  at 
the  last  passover,  when  Peter,  on  second  thought, 
expressed  the  desire  to  be  washed  from  head  to  foot, 
Christ  said,  "  He  that  is  washed  needeth  not  save 
to  wash  his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit."  It  is 
therefore  most  probable  that  this  lustration  was  lim- 
ited to  the  hands  and  feet,  and  not  of  the  whole 
body,  which  would  scarcely  comport  with  the  decen- 
cies of  so  public  an  assemblage.  The  symbolic 
meaning  of  this  process  is  unmistakable  :  purity, 
moral  purity,  in  the  ministry  of  mercy  is  the  prom- 
inent idea.     And,  as  to  Aaron,  as  a  typical  officer. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACOuRDINU    TO    MOSES.  119 

its  antitype  is  found  in  John's  washing  Jesus  on  the 
occasion  of  his  entrance  upon  the  functions  of  the 
High  Priest's  office. 

The  3d  step  in  this  process  of  consecration  is  the 
clothing  of  Aaron  in  the  entire  suit  prepared,  as 
described  in  chapter  tenth.  These  splendid  and 
costly  garments,  these  official  robes  and  decorations, 
these  Urim  and  Thummim,  these  precious  gems  and 
golden  crown,  being  after  all  but  carnal  and  "  beg- 
garly elements,"  yet  typify  and  set  forth  the  inim- 
itable grandeur  and  glory  of  our  High  Priest. 
Earth's  richest  materials  are  thrown  together  and 
wrought  into  the  most  elegant  forms,  by  heaven-in- 
spired artizans,  for  the  embellishment  of  the  priest 
who  ministers  at  the  earthly  altars  and  the  worldly 
sanctuary ;  and  all  this  to  impress  the  mind  of  the 
church  with  the  transcendent  grandeur  and  glory 
of  Him  who  is  to  come  from  heaven  and  minister 
in  the  spiritual  tabernacle,  and  to  build  up  his  OAvn 
spiritual  temple,  to  the  glory  of  his  own  grace. 
We  dwell  not  here,  because,  by  reference  to 
chap.  X.  the  reader  will  see  in  detail  the  symbolic 
meaning  of  every  part  of  this  dress  and  the  unity 
of  its  design. 

4.  The  fourth  movement  is  the  anointing  of  the 
dedicated  things.  Lev.  viii.  10  :  "  And  Moses  took 
the  anointing  oil,  and  anointed  the  tabernacle  and 
all  that  was  therein,  and  sanctified  them.  And  he 
sprinkled  thereof  upon  the  altar  seven  times,  and 
anointed  the  altar  and  all  his  vessels,  both  the  laver 


120  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

and  his  foot,  to  sanctify  them."  The  seven  sprink- 
lings of  the  altar  are  designed  to  arrest  and  fix  at- 
tention upon  it.  Seven,  being  a  mystic  number, 
which  means  perfection,  an  abundant  sufficiency, 
impresses  the  minds  of  the  Israelites  with  the  su- 
preme importance  of  the  altar :  i.  e.,  the  thing 
symbolized  by  it,  viz.,  Christ  our  sacrifice.  Thus 
are  they  taught  the  sevenfold  importance  of  this 
fundamental  doctrine,  the  vicarious  sufi"erings  of 
Jesus — his  enduring  the  wrath  of  God  due  to  us 
for  sin. 

The  laver  and  its  foot  are  here  mentioned  as  being 
outside,  and  in  some  sort  as  an  appendage  to  the 
altar  ;  intimating  its  use  as  preparatory  to  entrance. 
Moreover,  this  seems  to  confirm  the  remark  made 
relative  to  its  transportation  in  connection  with  the 
grate  of  the  altar. 

In  regard  to  each  item  of  furniture,  this  anoint- 
ing teaches  the  specific  consecration  of  Christ  to 
that  particular  department  of  the  Mediatorial  work 
symbolized  by  that  particular  furniture.  And  so 
of  the 

5th.  "  And  he  poured  of  the  anointing  oil  upon 
Aaron's  head,  and  anointed  him,  to  sanctify  him." 
As  he  is  an  official  type  of  our  true  and  efficient 
High  Priest,  his  personal  consecration  prominently 
sets  forth  Christ's  entire  consecration  to  the  office 
to  wliich  he  was  called,  as  was  Aaron :  and  also  his 
endowment  and  qualification  by  the  Spirit's  being 
poured  out  upon  him  without  measure.     "  God,  thy 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  121 

God,  hath  anomted  thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness 
above  thy  fellows.  All  thy  garments  smell  of  myrrh, 
and  aloes,  and  cassia,  out  of  the  ivory  palaces, 
w^hereby  they  have  made  thee  glad,"  Ps.  xlv.  And 
"  God  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by  measure  unto  him," 
Jno.  iii.  34.  ''  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in 
Him  should  all  fulness  d^vell,"  Col.  i.  19.  "For 
in  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  godhead 
bodily,"  ii.  9.  And  of  him  ultimately  is  that  writ- 
ten, "I  have  found  David  my  servant;  with  my 
holy  oil  have  I  anointed  him,"  Ps.  Ixxxix.  20.  In 
short,  all  the  qualifications  of  the  God-man,  for  the 
work  of  salvation,  are  covered  and  sealed  by  this 
holy  anointing. 

6.  One  more  item  only,  consisting  of  three  parts, 
shall  I  mention,  the  sacrifices  for  purifying  the  altar, 
the  sin-off"ering,  the  burnt-ofiering,  and  the  ram  of 
consecration.  Upon  the  head  of  each  Aaron  and 
his  sons  laid  their  hands,  indicative  of  a  transfer  of 
guilt.  They  are  all  slain,  and  their  blood  variously 
applied.  Of  the  first,  it  was  put  upon  the  horns 
of  the  altar  round  about,  and  the  rest  of  the  blood 
was  poured  out  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar ;  of  the 
second,  the  blood  was  sprinkled  in  like  manner,  and 
parts  of  the  body  were  burnt.  Of  the  ram  of  con- 
secration, Moses  took  part  of  the  blood  and  put  it 
upon  the  tip  of  Aaron's  right  ear,  and  upon  the 
thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of 
his  right  foot ;  it  was  also  sprinkled  upon  the  altar, 
and  upon  the  ears,  thumbs,  and  toes  of  his  sons ; 
u 


122  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

and  parts  of  the  flesh,  along  with  cakes  of  unleav- 
ened bread,  after  being  placed  on  the  hands  of 
Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  waved  for  a  wave-offering 
before  the  Lord,  were  burnt  upon  the  altar. 

More  minuteness  of  detail  is  not  consistent  with 
our  plan.  These  leading  items  afford  a  practical 
type  of  Christ's  entire  consecration,  dedication, 
and  preparation  for  the  entire  work  of  redeeming 
lost  men,  and  glorifying  God  in  their  salvation. 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  123 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Jlelatioiis  of  the  Ttniths  Syniboli»ed  to  each  other  and  to 
the  Grand  System — The  SheUinali — The  Central  Doctrine 
of  Christianity, 

We  come  now  to  the  fifth  and  last  result  of  our 
analysis,  viz.,  to  point  out  the  position  of  the  sev- 
eral doctrines  symbolized  relatively  to  each  other 
and  to  the  whole  as  one  system.  The  importance 
of  this  will  develope  itself  as  we  progress ;  yet  it 
may  be  well  to  remark,  that,  as  a  duty  out  of  place 
becomes  a  sin,  so  a  truth  out  of  place  becomes  a 
delusion  and  a  falsehood.  "  To  obey  is  better  than 
sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams ;" 
yet  the  sinner  who  labours  at  obedience  to  the  law, 
in  hope  of  life  thereby,  seeking  "to  establish  his 
own  righteousness,"  sins  against  God  and  his  own 
soul ;  and  thus  also  converts  the  truth  of  God  into 
a  lie.  For  there  is  not,  nor  can  be,  any  holy  obe- 
dience until  the  heart  is  made  holy — no  pure  water 
until  the  fountain  is  purified.  He  that  cometh  to 
God  must  come  in  the  way  of  his  appointment,  or 
he  will  certainly  meet  the  stern  rebuke,  "  Who  hath 
required  this  at  your  hand,  to  tread  my  courts  ? — 
brino;  no  more  vain  oblations ;   incense  is  an  abomi- 


1-4  THE    TABEKNACLE,    OK 

nation  unto  me."  "If  thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the 
altar,  and  there  rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath 
aught  against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the 
altar,  and  go  thy  way  ;  first  be  reconciled  to  thy 
brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift,"  Matt. 
V.  23,  24.  Otherwise  the  offering  is  a  vain  oblation 
and  a  sin. 

The  traveller  in  the  Arabian  desert,  oppressed  by 
the  scorching  heat  of  the  sun,  direct  and  reflected 
from  the  parched  sands,  and  his  eyes  almost  bhnded 
by  the  combined  action  of  both,  his  bosom  heaving 
with  the  swelUng  desire,  Oh  that  some  shadow  of  a 
great  rock  in  this  weary  land,  or  even  of  some 
friendly  tree,  would  extend  its  protection  over  me 
and  snatch  me  from  this  impending  death,  at  last 
lifts  his  weary  and  bedimmed  eyes,  when  lo  !  in  the 
distance  a  cloud  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,  seems  to 
throw  itself  up  in  the  western  horizon.  Toward  it 
he  bends  his  weary  steps,  hoping  for  its  shady  pro- 
tection and  refreshing  shower.  Faint,  yet  pursuing, 
he  presses  on,  and  as  he  nears  it,  it  seems  to  rise 
from  the  earth  and  to  culminate  in  the  very  heavens. 
Painfully  apprehensive  that  night  may  cast  its  dark 
shade  over  him  in  this  dread  wilderness,  he  glances 
his  eye  toward  the  fast  descending  sun,  and  doubles 
his  diligence  to  escape  before  the  blackness  of  dark- 
ness covers  his  path.  But  alas  !  too  late  ;  in  dark- 
ness and  despair  he  sinks  to  the  earth  in  a  swoon : 
but  in  a  moment  he  rallies,  and  what  do  his  eyes  be- 
hold ?     The  cloud  has  passed    away,   to  which  he 


THE    GOSPEL    .ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  125 

had  so  eagerly  looked  for  relief,  when  lo  !  the  dark- 
ness has  indeed  passed  away,  "but  a  light  from 
heaven,  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  shining 
round  about"  him,  guides  his  footsteps  in  the  same 
direction  ;  and  as  it  is  a  light  without  any  scorching 
heat,  he  arises  and  presses  onward,  renewedly  anx- 
ious to  learn  what  he  may  about  this  non-consuming 
pillar  of  fire.  Soon  he  discovers  at  its  base  other 
objects  of  interest,  of  which  anon.  He  finds  himself 
in  the  vicinity  of  a  vast  encampment — thousands  of 
tents  spread  out  in  beautiful  order,  covering  milhons 
of  peaceful,  happy,  and  contented  people.  Passing 
the  sentinels  inward  toward  this  brilliant  light,  he 
finds  its  base  resting  upon  the  largest  and  loftiest 
of  the  tents  ;  it  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  vast 
camp.  Upon  enquiry  he  learns  that  in  this  large 
tent  is  an  ark  containing  the  compend  of  moral  law ; 
that  covering  this  ark  is  a  plate  of  solid  gold  ;  that 
there  are  upon  it,  and  over  it,  and  of  it,  two  cheru- 
bim, shadowing  this  mercy-seat ;  and  that  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  God  of  salvation,  dwelling  between  these 
cherubim,  is  the  symbol  of  God's  gracious  presence  ; 
and  the  non-consuming  fiery  pillar  is  but  the  heaven- 
ward elongation  of  this  glorious  symbol. 

This  traveller  is  every  child  of  Adam — every  sin- 
ner of  his  race.  The  sandy  desert  is  this  sinful 
world.  The  struggles,  trials,  afflictions,  perils  of 
the  way,  all  represent  the  painful  consequences  of 
sin,  which  ever  meet  us  here,  whilst  in  an  uncon- 
verted state  :  especially  the  holy  law's  influences  in 
11  * 


126  THE    TABERNACLE,    Oil 

the  conscience,  driving  us  on  with  its  stern  com- 
mands, and  goading  to  madness  and  toward  despair 
by  its  inexorable  demand,  ''obey  and  live ;''  and  yet, 
at  the  same  time,  making  it  every  hour  more  plain 
that  this  just  demand  transcends  the  capacity  of  the 
sinner  —  that  no  pure  stream  of  holy  action  can 
emanate  from  the  corrupt  fountain  of  an  unholy 
heart.  The  Avild  ranging  of  the  traveller's  eye  all 
over  the  boundless  expanse  of  the  desert,  in  quest 
of  relief,  of  whose  cause  he  is  ignorant,  is  the  sinner 
crying,  in  the  conscious  anguish  of  his  convicted 
soul,  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  The  cloud  in 
the  dim  distance  is  the  earliest  dawn  of  a  confused 
hope.  The  fiery  pillar,  glaring  through  the  dark- 
ness, like  the  star  of  Bethlehem,  tells  of  a  God  of 
mercy  and  where  a  clearer  light  may  be  found  lead- 
ing to  ''the  Lord  our  righteousness."  Thus  too,  the 
moral  excellence  of  the  church  lures  sinners  to  the 
ark  of  safety.     "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world." 

Thus  our  traveller  reaches  the  central  point,  not 
simply  of  the  Israelitish  camp,  but  of  the  moral  uni- 
verse. There  is  no  other  principle,  known  to  man, 
of  equal  importance  with  that  set  forth  in  this  sym- 
bol. It  gives  us  the  solution  of  the  most  important 
problem  ever  propounded  to  the  intelligent  universe, 
viz.  :  How  God  can  justify  a  sinner.  Two  other 
problems,  in  reference  to  the  fundamental  principle 
of  moral  government,  have  been  already  resolved. 
This  principle  is,  that  righteous  action  must  be  re- 
warded with  happiness,  and  unrighteous  action  with 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING   TO    xMOSES.  127 

painful  infliction  :  the  one  ensures  life,  the  other 
death.  Its  application  to  righteous  beings  who  ktpi: 
their  integrity  and  their  first  estate,  secured  a  sen- 
tence of  justification  for  the  holy  angels.  This  is 
one  problem.  Its  application  to  sinning  angels,  en- 
sured their  damnation ;  this  the  other  problem. 
Both  these  are  solved.  The  one  resulting  in  the 
everlasting  life  and  bliss  of  the  obedient — the  right- 
eous ;  the  other  in  the  eternal  death  of  the  unright- 
eous angels  that  sinned,  and  who  are  reserved  in 
everlasting  chains,  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eter- 
nal fire.  The  moral  universe  had  witnessed  the  ad- 
justment of  these  two  problems  :  they  had  witnessed 
the  fate  of  the  righteous  and  of  the  wicked.  But 
now  there  is  an  intermediate  question.  Can  God  be 
just  in  justifying  a  sinner  ?  This  question  is  an- 
swered— this  problem  is  solved,  by  the  ark  of  the 
testimony,  as  we  have  seen  in  chapters  ii.,  iii.,  and 
iv.  :  but  must  now,  according  to  promise,  make  still 
more  manifest. 

The  ark  is  the  grand  type  of  Christ  as  the  fulfiller 
of  law — of  law  lyreceptive  as  contra-distinguished — 
from  law  i^enal.  It  has  nothing  to  do  directly  with 
penalty.  This  latter  is  the  precise  thing  taught  by 
the  altar  of  burnt-offerings  ;  and  we  must  not  con- 
fuse the  symbols.  To  secure  man  in  the  enjoyments 
of  the  reward  of  holy  obedience  and  bring  him  under 
the  dominion  of  the  law  in  fact  and  indeed,  include 
a  very  large  portion  of  the  gospel,  viz.  :  justifica- 
tion and  sanctification  :  the  latter  is  a  necessary  con- 


128 

sequent  of  the  former,  and  is  therefore  rather  in- 
ferred from  the  symbol  meaning  of  the  ark,  than 
expressly  taught  by  it :  its  grand  lesson  being 
Christ's  fulfilment  of  preceptive  law  for  lost  men. 

The  gospel,  of  which  this  is  the  central  thought — 
the  master  idea,  is  a  remedial  law^  by  which  "is 
meant  that  the  scheme  of  redemption  revealed  in  the 
Bible,  professes  to  counteract  the  evils  resulting  from 
a  former  scheme,  to  make  amends  for  its  violation, 
to  provide  a  remedy  for  the  moral  diseases  induced 
through  its  agency,  and  so  to  "  heal  the  hurt  of  the 
daughter  of  my  people." 

"  The  evidence  may  be  found  in  the  professed 
design  of  the  Saviour.  He  came  to  fulfil  all  right- 
eousness— to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost, 
to  heal  the  sick,  to  cleanse  those  infected  with  the 
leprosy  of  sin,  to  rescue  man  from  the  condemnation 
of  the  law,  and  to  restore  him  to  the  favour  and 
enjoyment  of  God,  to  throw  open  the  prison  doors, 
and  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  to  give  sight 
to  the  blind,  to  make  the  lame  walk,  and  the  tongue 
of  the  dumb  sing  for  joy.  The  entire  phraseology 
of  Scripture  shows  that  the  gospel  is  a  remedy  for 
evils  consequent  upon  some  scheme  of  law  which 
preceded  it.  It  is  not  a  device  original,  in  and  of 
itself,  but  is  manifestly  based  upon  the  hypothesis 
of  another  covenant  having  preceded  it,  at  the  head 
of  which  is  another  Adam,  of  whom  this  second 
Adam  is  the  anti-type.  The  actual  work  accom- 
plished by  the  Lord  from  heaven,  is  remedial :  he 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  129 

restores  from  the  ruin  of  the  fall."     See  Junkin  on 
Justification,  pp.  182,  183. 

But  now,  "  every  remedial  law  establishes  the 
principle  of  the  original  institute.  This  is  implied 
in  the  term  by  which  I  have  expressed  the  idea.  To 
speak  of  remedying  a  defect,  supposes  the  existence 
of  the  thinoj  in  which  it  exists.  In  human  leo'isla- 
tion,  an  original  institute  defines  its  object,  and  the 
principle  by  which  it  proposes  to  accomplish  it.  The 
general  law  for  the  establishment  of  schools  in  a 
commonw^ealth,  specifies  its  object — the  education 
of  the  entire  mass  of  the  people :  it  also  settles  the 
great  principle  upon  which  it  shall  be  done.  This 
is  an  original  institute.  But  many  defects  may  be 
developed  in  the  application  of  its  detail.  These  it 
may  be  possible  to  cure,  without  abandoning  either 
the  object  or  the  general  principle  by  which  it  is 
proposed  to  secure  it.  Subsequent  laws  may  correct 
the  defects,  and  such  laws  are  remedial^  and  in  our 
legislation  are  called  supi)lements.  Should  the  legis- 
lature hereafter  determine  to  abandon  the  object,  or 
the  principle,  they  must  pass  a  repealing  act.  But 
moral  laws  cannot  be  repealed,  even  by  a  divine  or- 
dinance. They  are  an  expose  of  the  divine  perfec- 
tions, and  are  eternal  like  their  author ;  and  hence 
the  reason  why  the  Imv  given  to  Adam,  could  never 
be  repealed,  abrogated  or  set  entirely  aside.  It  is 
a  moral  law,  and  can  no  more  be  changed,  than  God 
himself,  of  Avhose  perfections  it  is  a  transcript.  By 
a  change  in  man,  it  has  wrought  death,  and  must 


130  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

continue  to  work  deatli,  unless  the  omniscient  Legis- 
lator provide  a  remedy.  The  laAV,  he  can  never  re- 
peal ;  a  supplement  remedial  he  has  revealed  in  his 
holy  word.  The  obligation  upon  Adam  and  his 
race,  to  obey  God,  as  w^e  have  seen,  never  can  cease : 
the  motive  to  obedience,  held  out  in  the  promise  of 
life,  never  can  be  withdrawn.  "  If  thou  wilt  have 
life,  keep  the  commandments."  The  gospel  does 
not  make  void  the  law ;  "  God  forbid ;  yea  we  es- 
tablish the  law."  But  "  what  the  law  could  not  do, 
in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh — by  man's 
failure — God,  sending  his  own  Son,  in  the  likeness 
of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in  the 
flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  ful- 
filled in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit."  So  far,  therefore,  from  the  gospel  being 
an  original  law,  defining  and  fixing  its  own  princi- 
ples, irrespective  of  any  pre-existing  scheme  or  sys- 
tem of  law,  it  is  simply  a  remedial  scheme;  de- 
signed to  confirm,  and  establish  the  eternal  princi- 
ples of  right,  laid  down  in  the  law  and  covenant 
given  by  his  Creator  to  man.  Material  things  are 
subject  to  mutation.  Earth's  surface  may  be  the 
theatre  of  ten  thousand  ever  shifting  dramas,  whose 
last  act  may  be  a  renovated  world,  emerging  from  a 
deluge  of  fire.  Material  suns  and  systems  may  be 
blotted  out  of  existence ;  but  God's  law  is  immu- 
table as  his  own  eternal  essence.  "  Think  not  that 
I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law  or  the  prophets  :  I  am 
not  come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil ;  for  verily  I  say 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCOEDING  TO  MOSES.     131 

unto  jou,  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one 
tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be 
fulfilled."  It  is  not  denied,  that  the  law  here  in- 
cludes the  Mosaic  writings,  and  the  prophets,  but  it 
is  unquestionably  true,  that  the  main  substance  of 
the  whole,  is  the  moral  laiv,  which  is  interspersed 
throughout  the  Scriptures."  Pp.  183-185. 

The  gospel,  then,  is  a  remedial  scheme — it  comes 
to  remedy  the  evils  of  a  broken  covenant.  Now 
this  is  done  by  establishing  the  principle  of  the 
former — that  life  is  the  just  reivard  of  righteousness 
— happiness  and  holiness  are  inseparable.  Jesus 
came  to  fulfil  all  righteousness.  Deny  this,  and  the 
universe  is  a  moral  chaos,  without  a  governor; 
establish  it ;  and  all  is  order,  safety  and  peace ;  the 
throne  of  God  no  longer  totters,  but  is  stable  as  his 
own  eternal  being.  This  is  what  the  ark  teaches : 
to  herald  this,  all  the  cherubim  spread  forth  their 
wings ;  and,  as  they  fly  all  abroad,  proclaim  peace 
on  earth — good-will  to  man — the  fulfilment  of  law 
is  perfected  by  the  obedience  of  our  ever  blessed 
Surety — the  Branch  from  David's  root — "  and  this 
is  the  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called,  the  Lord 

OUR  RIGHTEOUSNESS." 

Now,  this  fulfilment  of  law — this  perfect  compli- 
ance of  our  Redeemer  with  all  its  preceptive  claims, 
as  the  title  and  the  only  possible  title  to  life  eternal, 
was  vicarious.  It  was  not  wrought  out  and  per- 
fected, this  righteousness,  to  secure  his  own  personal 
justification  and  to   entitle  himself  to  eternal  life ; 


132  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

but  for  his  people.  He  has  life  in  himself,  and  his 
fulfilment  of  law  for  his  redeemed,  is  more  honour- 
able to  the  law  and  more  abundantly  glorifies  it, 
than  could  the  perfect  obedience  of  the  whole  race 
of  Adam  ;  yet  is  it  wholly  available  and  passes  over 
to  the  benefit  of  all  them  that  believe  in  his  name. 
Thus  they  stand  complete  in  him.  They  are  ar- 
rayed, not  in  the  righteousness  of  a  man,  nor  yet  of 
an  angel ;  but,  far  more  glorious,  in  the  "  righteous- 
ness of  God" — "which  is  through  the  faith  of 
Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith." 
And  thus  the  problem  intermediate,  is  solved.  God 
is  just  whilst  he  justifies  sinners  who  believe  in 
Jesus.  This  central  doctrine  of  Christianity  is  vin- 
dicated, whilst  the  central  principle  of  the  moral 
universe  remains  unmoved  and  immoveable. 


THE   GOSPEL  ACCORDING   TO   MOSES.  133 


CHAPTER  XVIll. 

JRelative  Position — The   Brazen   Altar — Tlie   A-rlt—Tlie    Golden 
Altar. 

Our  traveller  of  the  desert,  as  he  approaclies  the 
pillar  of  the  cloud,  discovers,  directly  between  him- 
self and  it,  another  ascending  column,  of  less  eleva- 
tion and  of  less  uniformity,  in  regard  to  its  hue  and 
steadiness  ;  sometimes  dark  ;  sometimes  bright ;  now 
upright  and  evenly  ;  now  waving  and  irregular.  As 
night  approaches,  its  lower  part  becomes  somewhat 
bright  and  flickering ;  and  anon  he  ascertains  its 
base  to  be  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings ;  and  itself 
the  column  of  smoke  ascending  from  the  half  con- 
sumed sacrifice.  He  must  pass  by  this  altar  before 
he  can  enter  the  most  holy  place  and  stand  in  pres- 
ence of  the  ark.  Faith  in  the  Lamb  that  was 
slain,  precedes  faith  in  the  Lord  our  Righteous- 
ness. When  we  contemplate  the  ark,  the  question 
arises,  how  can  we  put  on  Christ's  righteousness  and 
thus  be  entitled  to  eternal  life,  whilst  we  are  under 
condemnation  and  actually  dead  in  sin  ?  Can  a 
man  be  justified  and  condemned  at  the  same  time  ? 
Can  he  be  in  both  states  at  once  ?  The  relative 
position  of  the  ark  and  altar  solves  this  difiiculty. 
The  altar  must  be  passed  on  our  way  to  the  ark. 

12 


134  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Properly  speaking,  this  is  redejnption — the  pay- 
ment of  the  demanded  price,  for  the  release  of  the 
captive  soul  under  sin.  The  wages  of  sin  is 
death,  and  justice  demands  their  payment : 
there  is  no  evasion — "thou  shalt  surely  die." 
The  veracity  of  God  in  this  threatening,  as  well  a3 
his  justice,  call  for  the  infliction  of  the  penalty. 
This  truth  is  brought  home  to  the  sinner's  heart,  by 
the  Spirit  and  word  of  God,  working  in  the  conscience 
"a  true  sense  of  sin,"  and,  as  the  heart  knoweth  its 
own  bitterness,  its  first,  felt  necessity  is  escape  from 
condemnation  and  the  wrath  of  God,  which  it  sus- 
pends over  the  sinner's  head.  Hence  the  exclama- 
tion, "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  This  has  re- 
ference to  release  from  the  impending  curse ;  not  to 
the  necessity  of  that  righteousness  to  which  life 
positive  is  promised.  Painful  endurance  and  the 
present  dread  of  its  continuance  and  increase,  under 
the  impulsions  of  self-love,  absorb  the  whole  atten- 
tion and  fix  it  upon  the  one  fearful  idea  of  God's 
wrath,  now  ready  to  burst  in  upon  the  soul  and  sink 
it  into  the  abyss  of  endless  woe.  How  can  I  escape  ? 
Is  there  no  deliverance  ?  Must  I  fall  beneath  the 
avenging  sword  of  divine  justice  ?  To  this  agoniz- 
ing interrogation  the  blazing  altar  furnishes  the  only 
true  response — the  only  response  that  glorifies  God 
and  saves  man — "  Yea,  his  soul  draweth  near  unto 
the  grave,  and  his  life  to  the  destroyers.  If  there 
be  a  messenger  with  him,  an  interpreter,  to  show 
unto  man  his  (the  Messenger's)  uprightness :  then 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDINU    TO    MOSES.  135 

he  is  gracious  unto  liim,  and  saith,  Deliver  him  from 
going  down  to  the  pit ;  I  have  found  a  ransom." 
Job  xxxiii.  22-24 :  "  The  Son  of  man  came  to  give 
his  life  a  ransom  for  many,"  Matt.  xx.  28.  This 
ransom-price  of  redemption,  lutron,  is  prominently 
exhibited  in  the  brazen  Altar.  See  chap.  viii.  And 
this  is  the  one  grand  design  of  it,  as  Paul  abund- 
antly declares  in  Heb.  ix.  where  he  proves  the  inef- 
ficiency of  the  typical  sacrifices  as  a  price  of  re- 
demption for  the  soul.  "  But  Christ  being  come  a 
high  priest  of  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and 
more  perfect  tabernacle,  (his  own  body)  not  made 
with  hands,  that  is  to  say,  not  of  this  building ; 
neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and  calves,  but  by  his 
own  blood  he  entered  once  into  the  holy  place, 
having  obtained  eternal  redemption  for  us,"  eternal 
lutrosis,  that  is  release,  deliverance  from  the  curse 
and  condemnation  of  the  law.  The  root  idea  of 
this  Greek  word,  is  to  loose,  to  untie,  unbind,  set 
free  from  bonds ;  and  in  fact,  as  Webster  intimates, 
our  English  word  is  a  derivation  from  it.  The 
assumption  always,  that  the  thing  to  be  released  was 
previously  bound :  and  so  sinners  are  under  condem- 
nation, bound  to  endure  the  just  sentence  of  the  law. 
This  is  the  true  notion  of  guilt — liability  to  j^y^nish- 
ment — the  state  and  condition  of  a  moral  being, 
on  whom  judgment  unto  condemnation  has  passed ; 
which  is  the  natural  estate  of  all  mankind.  "He 
that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already."  Guilt  is 
the  bond  that  binds  the  sinner  to  the  stake  for  ever- 


136  THE    TABEKNACLE,    OK 

lasting  burning  ;  which  is  confessed  by  the  worship- 
per who  "  binds  the  sacrifice  with  cords,  even  unto 
the  horns  of  the  altar,"  Ps.  cxviii.  27.  Christ  our 
passover  who  is  sacrificed  for  us — in  our  place 
and  room ;  and  on  our  behalf,  unties  this  bond 
— looses  the  cords  of  guilt  from  the  sinner,  binds 
them  around  himself  and  "  suffers,  the  just  for  the 
unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God."  Thus, 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  both  our  Priest  and 
sacrifice,  secures  our  release  from  bonds  of  guilt — 
snatches  us  from  hell  and  the  grave ;  so  that  "  there 
is  therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are 
in  Christ  Jesus  :"  Rom.  viii.  1,  and  because  this 
change  of  their  legal  relations  is  always  accom- 
panied by  a  consequential  change  of  their  moral 
character  and  temperament,  they  "walk  not  after 
the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit ;"  and  so  press  by  the 
altar  into  the  holiest  of  all  along  with  their  high 
priest,  and  there,  having  been  washed  at  the  laver, 
are  enrobed  in  the  glorious  garments  of  the  Saviour's 
righteousness — that  is,  are  justified ;  and  fitted  to 
sit  down  at  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  Thus, 
Justification  is  that  judicial  act,  whereby  God  de- 
clares the  sinner  to  be  possessed  in  law,  of  that 
righteousness,  to  which  eternal  life  is  promised  and 
is  therefore  justly  due ;  and  that  this  righteousness 
is  from  Christ  "  imputed  to  the  sinner  and  received 
by  faith  alone."  This  is  the  teaching  of  the  ark; 
that  of  the  altar  is  different,  viz.  that  the  sufi'erings 
of  Christ — his  bearing  our  sins — the  pains  and  sor- 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  137 

rows  due  to  them — in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  re- 
moves guilt  for  ever  from  us ;  glorifies  the  divine 
justice,  which,  despite  the  tears  and  agony  and 
blood  and  cries  of  the  holy  and  the  just  One,  held 
the  terrible  cup  to  his  parched  lips  until  it  was  ex- 
hausted and  he  cried,  "It  is  finished."  Thus  par- 
don is  secured — the  forgiveness  of  sins — the  removal 
of  guilt,  so  that  the  believing  sinner  is  no  longer 
liable  to  suffer  the  punishment  of  his  sins,  for  they 
all  are  blotted  out  and  never  can  rise  in  the  judg- 
ment against  him. 

This  pardon  is  wholly  gratuitous,  as  to  the  sinner 
himself,  and  as  from  Jesus ;  but  it  is  not  gratuitous, 
as  to  Jesus  from  the  Father.  It  is  a  pardon 
"bought  with  blood  divine."  The  lutron — the 
redemption  price  which  Jesus  paid,  entitles  him  to 
the  release  of  his  people  from  the  guilt  and  ruin  of 
sin.  It  is  no  more  possible  that  they  should  be 
holden  of  death  and  hell  and  the  grave,  than  that 
Christ  himself  should  be  so  holden ;  against  which 
idea,  Peter  concludes  by  a  logic  Avhich  swept  about 
three  thousand  souls  into  the  fold  of  the  good 
Shepherd. 

Moreover  herein  is  taught  most  significantly  the 
foundation  and  superstructure  of  Christ's  intercession. 
The  foundation  is  laid  in  the  symbol  meaning  of  the 
altar  and  the  ark,  and  the  intercommunication  be- 
tween them.  The  former  two  we  have  had ;  the 
latter  now  claims  our  attention.  The  record  we 
have  in  detail  in  cliap.  xvi.  of  Lev.  The  high  priest 
12  * 


138 

is  prohibited,  on  pain  of  deatli  from  going  into  the 
holy  of  holies,  except  on  one  day  in  the  year ;  "In 
the  seventh  month,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  month, 
ye  shall  afflict  your  souls,  and  do  no  work  at  all, 
whether  it  be  one  of  your  own  country,  or  a  stranger 
that  sojourneth  among  you ;  for  on  that  day  shall 
the  priest  make  an  atonement  for  you,  to  cleanse 
you,  that  ye  may  be  clean  from  all  your  sins  before 
the  Lord.  It  shall  be  a  Sabbath  of  rest  unto  you,  and 
ye  shall  afflict  your  souls,  by  a  statute  for  ever,"  ver. 
29,  30,  31.  This  is  the  high-day— the  great  day  of 
atonement.  But  we  must,  like  Paul,  condense  Heb. 
ix.  7.  "  But  into  the  second  went  the  high  priest 
alone  once  every  year,  not  without  blood,  which  he 
offered  for  himself  and  for  the  errors  of  the  people." 
The  sacrifices  directed  by  Moses,  were  a  "  young 
bullock  for  a  sin-offering  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt- 
offerino;."  ''  And  Aaron  shall  bring  the  bullock  of  the 
sin-offering,  which  is  for  himself,  and  shall  make  an 
atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his  house,  and  shall 
kill  the  bullock  of  the  sin-offering  which  is  for 
himself.  And  he  shall  take  a  censer  full  of  burning 
coals  from  off  the  altar  before  the  Lord,  and  his 
hands  full  of  sweet  incense  beaten  small,  and  bring 
it  within  the  vail.  And  he  shall  put  the  incense 
upon  the  fire  before  the  Lord,  that  the  cloud  of  the 
incense  may  cover  the  mercy-seat  that  is  upon  the 
testimony,  that  he  die  not ;  And  he  shall  take  of 
the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  sprinkle  it  with  his 
finger  upon  the   mercy-seat  eastward  ;    and  before 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO   MOSES.  139 

the  mercy-seat  shall  he  sprinkle  of  the  blood  with 
his  finger  seven  times."  Such  are  the  offices  for  the 
priesthood  themselves.  He  is  commanded  to  take 
of  the  congregation,  two  kids  of  the  goats,  to  cast 
lots  for  one  of  them  for  the  Lord  and  the  other  falls 
to  the  people,  for  a  scapegoat.  "  Then,  after  he 
has  offered  the  bullock,  shall  he  kill  the  goat  of  the 
sin-offering,  that  is  for  the  people,  and  bring  his 
blood  within  the  vail,  and  do  with  that  blood  as  he 
did  with  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  sprinkle  it 
upon  the  mercj-seat,  and  before  the  mercy-seat,"  ver. 
15.  "  And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands  upon  the 
head  of  the  live  goat,  and  confess  over  him  all  the 
iniquities  of  the  children  of  Israel  *  *  *  g^j^^j 
the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  iniquities  unto 
a  land  not  inhabited,"  ver.  21,  22.  "  In  like  manner, 
the  bodies  of  those  beasts,  whose  blood  is  brought 
into  the  sanctuary  by  the  high  priest  for  sin,  are 
burned  without  the  camp ;  Wherefore  Jesus  also, 
that  he  might  santify  the  people  with  his  own  blood, 
suffered  without  the  gate,"  Heb.  xiii.  11,  12:  and 
Lev.  xvi.  27.  All  the  sacrifices  and  ceremonies  of 
the  great  day  refer  to  Christ ;  let  us  note, 

1.  The  high  priest's  action  in  laying  aside  his 
splendid  garments,  Lev.  xvi.  4,  and  arraying  him- 
self in  the  plain  linen  dress  of  the  common  priest, 
symbolizes  the  Lord  of  glory  laying  aside  his  robes 
of  eternal  light  and  vailing  his  divinity  in  human 
flesh. 

The  priest's  offering  of  sacrifices  for  himself  and 


140  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

liis  sons  is  an  acknowledgment  of  their  dependence 
on  the  great  sacrifice  offered  by  the  Lord,  for  the 
sins  of  men  ;  and  proves  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and 
of  goats  cannot  wash  out  sins.  Their  repetition 
every  year  moreover  proves  their  inefiiciency,  that 
they  "can  never  take  away  sins." 

3.  The  offerings  of  the  bullock  and  ram,  and  the 
goat  of  sin-offering  for  the  people,  together  with  the 
scape-goat — all  these  typify  Christ  as  lifting  up  and 
removing  sin.  The  two  goats  are  one  offering — "a 
sin-offering,"  ver.  5.  One  is  slain,  and  its  blood, 
together  with  that  of  the  "bullock,  is  sprinkled 
upon  the  altar  seven  times  with  his  finger,  to 
cleanse,"  ver.  18,  19  ;  but  the  live  goat  carries  off — 
removes  the  sin.  Ver.  22  :  "And  the  goat  shall 
bear  upon  him  all  their  iniquities  unto  a  land  not  in- 
habited." "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketli 
away  the  sin  of  the  world."  The  sufferings  of 
Christ,  our  High  Priest,  removes,  takes  away,  and 
for  ever  separates  sin  from  the  people  of  his  love ; 
so  that  they  can  never  "come  into  condemnation, 
but  are  passed  from  death  unto  life,"  John  v.  24. 
Therefore, 

4.  The  idea  that  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  was  made 
as  truly  for  the  damned  in  hell  as  for  the  saints  in 
glory,  must  be  erroneous.  Manifestly,  if  Christ  has 
taken  away  the  sins — all  the  sins,  (unbelief  among 
the  rest,)  of  all  men,  all  men  must  go  to  heaven  ;  or 
then  we  have  the  horrible  conception  of  men  going 
down  to  eternal  death,  from  whom  the  Saviour,  by 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  141 

his  obedience  until  death,  hath  taken  away  all  sin  ! 
Blasphemous  thought !  ! 

5.  The  connection  between  the  altar  and  the  ark, 
by  the  high  priest  carrying  the  blood  and  fire  from 
the  altar,  through  the  blue  vail  into  the  most  holy 
place,  and  there  sprinkling  the  blood  before  and 
upon   the  mercy-seat,  most   beautifully  symbolizes 
the  action  of  our  great  High  Priest.     "  For  Christ 
is  not  entered  into  the  holy  places  made  with  hands, 
which  are  the  figures  (types)  of  the  true,  but  into 
heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God 
for  us,"  Heb.  ix.  24.     "We  have  an  Advocate  with 
the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  :  And  he  is 
the  propitiation  (reconciliation)  for  our  sins  :  and 
not  for  ours  (Jewish  believers)  only,  but  also  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world,"  1  John  ii.  1,  2.     The 
basis  and  eflficiency  of  Christ's  advocacy  is  laid  in 
the  perfection  of  his  sacrifice.     Because  "  he  hum- 
bled himself  and  became  obedient  until  death — even 
the  death  of  the  cross,  wherefore  also  hath  God  ex- 
alted him   and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above 
every  name,"  Phil.  ii.  8,  9.     His  exaltation  as  Me- 
diator, his  universal  dominion,  and  the  efficiency  of 
his  intercession — him  the  Father  heareth  always — 
all  depend  on  and  spring  from  the  work  done  in  the 
days  of  his  humihation,  the  centre  of  whose  sorrows 
is  symboHzed  in  the  burning  altar.     But  for  his 
payment  of  the  price  of  redemption,  our  Advocate 
has  no  right  to  ask  the  Father  for  his  people's  deliv- 
erance from  the  pit  in  which  is  no  water,  or  to  pray 


142  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

for  the  Spirit  to  be  poured  out  on  them.     And  this 
suggests 

6.  The  relation  of  the  golden  altar  to  bofh  the 
ark  and  the  brazen  altar.  The  incense  altar,  as  we 
have  seen,  chap,  vii.,  symbolizes  Christ  as  the  Inter- 
cessor— the  Advocate  with  the  Father.  It  stands 
immediately  in  front  of  the  ark,  but  outside  of  the 
vail  and  in  a  direct  line  from  the  ark  to  the  laver 
and  the  brazen  altar.  No  perfume,  however,  can 
arise — no  pillar  of  a  sweet-smelling  odour  can  ascend, 
until  coals  from  the  outer  altar  are  brought  in,  and 
the  incense  sprinkled  on  them.  The  prayer  of  the 
wicked  is  abomination  to  the  Lord.  True  devotion, 
real  heart-prayer  starts  out  from  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary.  "And  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  him" — 
then  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplications  flows  forth, 
the  incense  burns  brightly  upon  the  altar  of  the 
heart,  and  the  cloud  thereof  arises  between  the  che- 
rubim, where  God  meets  with  his  people  for  blessing. 
The  poet  of  nature  may  talk  of  kindling  his  devo- 
tion at  the  stars,  but  one  star  alone  is  adequate  to 
such  a  flame — the  Star  of  Bethlehem — a  spark  from 
the  altar  that  consumes  our  great  Sacrifice. 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  143 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Jtelative  Positions— Tlie  leaver— The  Candlestick,— The  Table. 

The  laver,  see  chap,  ix.,  is  the  type  of  our  Re- 
deemer as  the  purifier  of  the  church.  But  this 
function  of  his  office  he  accomphshes  by  the  agency 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  regenerates  the  souls  of  the 
Lord's  purchased  inheritance,  and  carries  them  on- 
ward in  holiness  for  ever.  Its  position  is  directly  in 
front  of  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  and  between 
it  and  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings.  It  sets  forth 
"  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,"  Tit.  iii.  5.  The  use  of  it,  as  of  the 
whole  tabernacle  and  all  its  furniture,  was  for  the 
priests  exclusively.  But  this  very  use  is  vicarious^ 
that  is,  the  priests  and  Levites  officiate  in  their  ser- 
vices for  and  on  behalf  of  the  people.  An  Israelite 
brings  his  lamb  or  goat  to  the  priests  at  the  altar, 
who  slay  and  offer  it  as  a  sacrifice  :  it  is  the  wor- 
'shipper,  not  the  priest,  who  confesses  his  sin  and  his 
hope  of  acceptance,  pardon,  and  peace  through  the 
Lamb  of  God.  So  the  priests  wash  at  the  laver  be- 
fore they  proceed  in  the  work  at  the  altar  ;  all  this 
is  vicarious :  and  thus  throughout ;  the  priests  and 
Levites  are  the  agents  as  it  were  ;  and  their  out- 


144  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

ward  actions  are  the  acts  of  the  people  who  present 
the  offerings.  The  believing  Hebrew,  bj  his  bloody 
offering,  expresses  his  faith  in  Messiah  as  the  Finest 
and  the  Sacrifice;  and  also  as  the  Purifier  and 
Sanctifier  of  his  own  soul.  His  desire  and  object 
is  to  go  himself  into  the  holy,  yea,  into  the  most  holy 
place  not  made  with  hands  ;  and  he  knows  that  until 
he  "is  washed,  and  sanctified,  and  justified  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our 
God,"  1  Cor.  vi.  11,  such  entrance  is  impossible. 
The  position  of  the  altar  and  laver  make  it  evident 
that  other  method  or  way  of  access  into  the  holy 
and  the  most  holy  places,  there  is  none. 

In  chapter  vi.  it  has,  we  trust,  been  made  evident 
that  the  Candlestick  typifies  Christ  as  the  Teacher, 
who  teacheth  as  never  man  taught :  as  the  Great 
Prophet,  by  whom  all  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
divine  perfections — and  especially  of  the  divine 
mercy ^  is  made  known  to  lost  men.  Its  position  on 
the  south  side  of  the  former  apartment — the  holy 
place,  which  ever  stands  with  open  doors,  ensures 
its  radiance  not  only  within,  but  all  abroad  in  front, 
over  the  laver,  and  the  &.ltar,  and  the  gate  of  the 
court,  and  far  eastward :  so  that  for  miles  distant, 
the.  traveller  may  behold,  and  learn  from  it,  the 
place  of  sacred  service  and  the  way  of  acceptable 
approach  thereto. 

The  lighting  of  the  lamps  is  official  service  of 
the  priesthood;  but  whence  the  fire  is  taken  the 
record  does  not  expressly  teach.     Lucifer  matches 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    MOSES.  145 

are  a  modern  invention ;  and  we  know  of  no  fire/" 
perpetually  burning  on  these  premises  but  that  on 
the  brazen  altar :  "  The  fire  upon  the  altar  shall 
be  burning  in  it ;  it  shall  not  be  put  out :  the  fire 
shall  ever  be  burning  upon  the  altar  ;  it  shall  never 
go  out,"  Lev.  vi.  12,  13.  It  is  therefore  a  neces- 
sary inference,  that  here,  as  in  the  consumption  of 
the  incense,  the  altar  supplies  the  fire:  and  here 
again  we  have  a  beautiful  illustration  and  argument 
as  to  the  infinite  importance  of  the  doctrine  of 
atonement — or  rather  satisfaction  rendered  to  divine 
justice  by  the  sufi'ering  and  death  of  the  Mediator. 
"Put  out"  this  fire — deny  the  vicarious  nature  of 
Christ's  sufferings — ^maintain  that  Jesus  did  not  le- 
gally, as  our  Surety,  bear  our  sins — sufier  the  pen- 
alty of  the  lata  for  his  people,  and  you  sweep  away 
the  foundation  of  the  sinner's  hope  for  eternity. 
"Put  out"  this,  and  you  have  no  fire  to  light  the 
lamps  that  guide  the  sinner's  feet  into  the  holy  of 
holies — you  have  no  fire  to  kindle  the  incense  of 
an  all  prevailing  intercession — no  Advocate  with 
the  Father  to  present  the  cries  and  prayers  of  a 
ransomed  world,  and  to  sprinkle  the  memorial  of 
his  own  blood,  as  the  ground  and  reason  why  the 
Spirit  should  be  sent  down  to  kindle  pentecostal 
fires  in  the  hearts  of  lost  millions.  Oh  !  what  do 
men  that  minister  mean  by  tampering  with  this  fun- 
damental doctrine  ?  Do  they  know  that  they  are 
labouring  to  extinguish  the  only  fire  which  can  gen- 
erate the  power  indispensable  to  give  motion  to  the 

13 


146  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

entire  machinery  of  gospel  grace  ?  Do  they  mean 
to  turn  the  Shekinah  of  glory  into  a  black  cloud 
of  divine  wrath,  soon  to  burst  upon  an  unredeemed 
race  ? 

In  chap.  V.  we  endeavoured  to  show  that  the  table 
and  its  appurtenances  exhibited  the  Saviour  to  the 
faith  of  his  people,  as  the  bread  of  God  which  Com- 
eth down  from  heaven  and  sustaineth  the  life  of 
God's  people.  Its  position  is  on  the  north  side  of 
the  sanctuary,  or  first  apartment  of  the  tabernacle, 
and,  of  course,  opposite  to  the  candlestick.  The 
table  and  all  its  contents  must  be  viewed  as  one 
symbol,  just  as  the  candlestick,  its  oil  and  light,  is 
one  ;  and  the  incense  w^ith  its  odour  is  one.  It  re- 
mains only  to  show  the  teaching  of  its  relative  po- 
sition. It  is  accessible  as  food  only  on  the  Sabbath 
morning  and  days  following,  and  is  therefore  at 
least  a  week  old  before  it  can  be  eaten.  Is  this  de- 
signed as  a  dietetic  lesson?  Does  it  teach  that 
fresh,  warm  bread  is  not  wholesome  ? 

This  bread  is  accessible  only  for  the  priests,  who 
are  the  representatives  of  the  people  :  hence,  under 
the  gospel,  we,  the  private  members  of  the  kingdom, 
being  admitted  to  its  most  sacred  privileges,  are 
priests  unto  God.  But  mainly,  it  is  accessible  only 
by  passing  the  altar,  and  the  laver,  as  guided  by 
the  Candlestick,  under  whose  light  it  is  eaten.  That 
is,  Divine  teaching  must  precede  actual  feeding  upon 
the  bread  of  God.  Knowledge  of  divine  truth  pre- 
cedes spiritual  nourishment,  and  must  accompany 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  14T 

growth  in  grace  thereby.  Before  eating,  the  priest 
must  pass  the  laver  also  :  i.  e.,  he  must  be  washed, 
or  he  cannot  eat.  Unless  he  is  regenerated  and 
sanctified,  he  cannot  digest  this  spiritual  bread. 
Food  is  for  living  men,  and  not  for  the  dead.  Spir- 
itual bread  is  for  such  as  are  made  alive  in  Christ 
Jesus :  to  all  others  the  experience  cannot  be  real- 
ized— "  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is 
drink  indeed."  .  The  altar  too  must  be  passed. 
Faith  in  the  great  sacrifice  precedes  the  feast  upon 
the  bread  of  faces.  The  eating  is  in  the  presence 
of  God,  and  after  the  priest  has  passed  the  altar, 
and  has  had  the  blood  put  upon  the  tip  of  his  right 
ear,  in  token  of  entire  obedience  to  divine  teaching; 
upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  in  token  of  his 
active  service  rendered  to  God ;  and  upon  the  great 
toe  of  his  right  foot,  in  token  of  his  following  in 
the  footsteps  of  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth. 

From  all  these,  it  seems  impossible  to  avoid  the 
inference,  in  reference  to  the  bread  and  wine  in  our 
sacramental  supper,  that  four  things  ought  to  be 
insisted  upon  as  pre-requisites :  viz., 

1.  "Knowledge  to  discern  the  Lord's  body" — an 
intelligent  comprehension  of  the  gospel  doctrines. 

2.  "Faith  to  feed  upon  him" — a  candid  profes- 
sion of  belief  in  the  leading  doctrines. 

3.  "Repentance  and  love" — a  reasonable  and 
Scriptural  account  of  religious  experience  and  heart 
work. 

4.  "New  obedience" — a   life  of  holiness — ear, 


148 

hand,  and  foot — the  enthx  consecration  of  the  per- 
son to  God. 

Omit  any  one  of  these,  and  you  endanger  the 
soul  of  the  communicant  and  lead  him  on  to  eat 
and  drink  damnation  to  himself;  and  prepare  the 
way  for  conduct  dishonourable  to  the  church ;  and 
cast  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  others. 

Strenuously,  but  tenderly,  sincerely,  but  kindly, 
press  these  four  points  upon  the  heart  and  con- 
science of  enquirers,  until  they  shall  have  exam- 
ined themselves ;  and  so  let  them  eat — and  you  will 
save  the  evils  mentioned;  and  a  holy,  active,  and 
zealous  communion  will  ensure  peace  and  harmony, 
and  love,  and  power  for  good  to  your  whole  congre- 
gation. This  will  ensure  your  light  to  shine  forth 
over  the  dark  deserts  of  a  sinful  world,  and  to  di- 
rect the  weary  feet  of  many  a  wanderer  into  the 
path  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect 
day. 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  149 


CHAPTER  XX. 

miscellaneous  Suggestive  Analogies — TJie  Sojourn  of  Israel — 
JBondage  in  JEggpt — Forty  Years  in  the  Wilderness — Order 
of  March— Westward  Movement— Entrance  into  Canaan. 

The  word  sojourn  describes  the  state  of  an  in- 
dividual or  company  of  persons  who  have  removed 
from  their  own  country  and  kindred,  and  are  living 
in  a  foreign  and  strange  land.  "  Abraham's  so- 
journ began  when  he  obeyed  the  Lord's  call  and 
left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  because  the  Lord  had  said 
unto  him,  '  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  from 
thy  kindred,  and  come  into  the  land  which  I  shall 
show  thee,'  "  Acts  vii.  3.  This  was  in  the  seventi- 
eth year  of  his  life,  and  A.  M.  2078.  Thirty  years 
after  this  Isaac  was  born  ;  and  thus  Abraham's  seed 
sojourned  four  hundred  years.  Gen.  xv.  13 ;  whilst 
the  whole  sojourn,  from  the  call,  was  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years,  Exod.  xii.  40,  4l,  at  the  end  of 
which,  "  even  the  self-same  day,  it  came  to  pass, 
that  all  the  hosts  of  the  Lord  w^ent  out  from  the 
land  of  Egypt."  Of  these  four  hm^dred  and  thirty, 
two  hundred  and  twenty  were  pas  ^ed  at  the  time 
of  Jacob's  descent.  From  the  call  to  Isaac's  birth 
is  thirty,  to  Jacob's  sixty,  and  to  his  audience  with 
13  * 


150  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

Pharaoh  one  hundred  and  thirty.  So  that  from  this 
to  the  exodus  was  two  hundred  and  ten  years — this 
is  the  whole  period  spent  in  Egypt :  and  this  was 
the  term  of  Israel's  deepest  degradation,  and  yet, 
very  possibly,  of  their  most  rapid  advancement  in 
numbers  and  general  improvement — perhaps  even 
in  spirituality. 

How  well  adapted,  all  this,  to  impress  upon  our 
minds  the  truth  that  we  are  all  pilgrims  and  strangers 
sojourning  in  a  foreign  land,  far  away  from  our 
Father's  house !  How  long  and  how  painful  our 
subjection  to  cruelty  and  oppression,  under  the 
bondage  of  sin  and  the  buffetings  of  Satan  and  his 
task-masters !  And  yet  how  perverse  and  foolish 
and  disobedient  w^e  are,  to  fall  in  love  with  our 
chains,  and  shrink  away  from  the  duty  of  resisting 
the  adversaries  and  of  breaking  loose  from  our  own 
degradation !  Israel  in  Egypt  is  an  allegory,  illus- 
trative of  man's  servitude  until  he  is  delivered  by 
divine  power,  and  borne,  almost  in  opposition  to  his 
desire,  across  the  red  sea,  and  witnessed  its  shores 
strown  with  the  relicts  of  a  dead  tyranny. 

But  if  the  bondage  sojourn  in  Egypt  is  symbol- 
ical of  man's  slavery  to  sin,  the  additional  forty 
years'  pilgrimage  in  the  wilderness  is  necessarily 
su2<^estive  of  the  sinner's  condition  after  his  chains 
are  broken,  and  before  he  settles  down  into  a  peace- 
ful and  quiet  frame  of  mind.  The  inconveniences, 
exposures,  and  sufferings ;  the  windings  and  turn- 
intzs,  the  scorchino:  heats   and  the  chillino;  blasts, 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  151 

the  wild  beasts  and  the  poisonous  reptiles, — all  that 
is  harassing  and  perilous  as  to  their  outward  condi- 
tion,   have   their    counterpart    in    the  uncertainty, 
the  failing  of  faith,  the  temptations  of  the  adver- 
sary of  souls;    the   blindness  and   darkness;    the 
fights  within  and  the  foes  without ;   the  allurements 
of  the  world,  and  all  the  miseries  resulting  from 
those  fleshly  lusts  that  war  against  the  soul's  peace. 
All   this  journey  through  this  great   and  terrible 
wilderness  symbolizes  the  religious  experiences  of 
the  present  state,  preparatory  to  our  entrance  upon 
the  heavenly  Canaan.     This  world  is  a  desert,  and 
through  it  we  must  pass.     Faith  alone  can  secure 
us.      Manna  is  provided — heavenly  bread:   water 
shall  be  sure.     Twice   a  miracle   was  wrought  to 
procure  a  supply.     Here  it  may  be  proper  to  cor- 
rect a  misconstruction  of   the  passage,   1   Cor.   x. 
4 :    ''  And  did  all  drink  the  same  spiritual  drink ; 
for  they  drank  of  that  spiritual  Rock  that  followed 
them:    and  that  Rock  was  Christ."     Some  people 
suppose  that  the  stream  from  the  rock  at   Horeb 
followed  literally  the  Israelites  in  all  their  journey- 
ings   through  the   desert.     But  Paul  says  nothing 
like  this :   he,  on  the  contrary,  tells  us  it  was  the 
spiritual     Rock — Christ  —  not   the   natural  water, 
that  followed  them  ;  it  was  the  spiritual  drinh  which 
the  believing  fathers  drank,  not  the  natural  water. 
"But  with  many  of  tliem  God  was  not  well  pleased." 
The  believing  people  drank  the  spiritual  drink,  and 
the  others  "were  overthrown  in  the  wilderness." 


152  THE   TABERNACLE,    OR 

The  order  of  march  is  a  pattern  for  military 
movements  to  this  day.  The  whole  adult  male  pop- 
ulation, exclusive  of  Levi,  was  divided  into  four 
corps,  as  military  men  would  now  term  it,  and  each 
corps  into  three  divisions  :  each  division  had  its  cap- 
tain and  proper  standard.  The  whole  number  of 
males  "  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that 
were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel,"  was  603,550. 
In  camp  and  on  the  march  they  were  to  occupy 
their  proper  position.  On  the  march  the  camp  of 
Judah  led  off,  with  Issachar's  and  Zebulon's  di- 
visions :  then  followed  the  second  corps,  the  camp 
of  Reuben,  with  Simeon's  and  Gad's.  Next  to 
these  were  the  tabernacle  and  its  appurtenances, 
surrounded  by  the  Levites  in  established  order. 
Then  the  camp  of  Ephraim,  with  the  divisions  of 
Manasseh  and  Benjamin.  The  camp  of  Dan,  with 
the  divisions  of  Asher  and  Naphtah,  forming  the 
fourth  corps,  closed  up  the  rear. 

If  only  one  out  of  five  was  qualified  for  military 
duty,  the  whole  population,  exclusive  of  Levites, 
was  3,017,750 — three  millions,  seventeen  thousand, 
seven  hundred  and  fifty ;  add  the  Levites,  45,000, 
and  you  have  the  grand  total  of  3,062,750. 

The  wisdom  that  could  muster  and  march  this 
immense  host  for  forty  years  must  be  more  than 
human,  and  of  this  the  proofs  abound.  The  Cap- 
tain of  the  Lord's  host  that  appeared  to  Joshua  on 
the  right  bank  of  Jordan  was  the  sleepless  guardian 
of  this  vast  host,  Josh.  v.  14,  15.     And  thus  it  is 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  153 

with  the  spiritual  Israel.  Order  and  beauty  reign 
in  the  camp  where  Jehovah  dwells.  ^'  The  king's 
daughter  is  all  glorious  within." 

These  hosts  of  the  Lord  marched  to  all  points 
of  the  compass  betimes,  yet  they  entered  Canaan 
from  the  east ;  and  the  tabernacle  always  faced  the 
east :  so  the  worshippers  always  faced  and  moved 
westward  in  their  approach  to  it.  This  suggests 
that  evangelical  truth  travels  westward.  The  Star 
of  Bethlehem  came  from  the  east.  The  Sun  of 
Righteousness  follows  the  course  of  the  natural  sun. 
The  true  church  of  God  has  always  been  moving 
"  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  of 
the  same."  And  the  facts  of  history  seem  alluded 
to  in  the  language  of  prophecy.  "  As  the  lightning 
Cometh  out  of  the  east  and  shineth  even  unto  the 
west,  so  shall  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be," 
Matt.  xxiv.  27.  "  He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  discour- 
aged till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the  earth,  and  the 
isles  shall  wait  for  his  law,"  Isa.  xlii.  4.  This  is 
spoken  of  Messiah,  and  contains  a  promise  for  the 
West.  The  Hebrews  called  all  western  regions  to 
which  they  went  by  water,  isles :  and  many  are  the 
allusions  to  them.  "  Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new 
song — ye  that  go  down  to  the  sea,  and  all  that  is 
therein;  the  isles  and  the  inhabitants  thereof." 
"  And  I  will  set  a  sign — to  the  isles  afar  off,  that 
have  not  heard  my  fame." 

"  Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its  way  ; 
The  four  first  acts  already  past, 


154  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

A  fifth  shall  close  the  drama  with  the  day ; 
Time's  noblest  offspring  is-the  last." 

Canaan,  whither  Israel  was  bound,  was  given  to 
that  pe'ople  bj  covenant,  promise,  and  oath:  and 
Canaan  is  the  grand  type  of  heavenly  rest  for  the 
church.  Heaven  is  given  to  its  redeemed  inhabit- 
ants that  are  and  shall  be,  by  promise,  covenant, 
and  oath.  All  exhibitions,  therefore,  which  ignore 
the  doctrine  of  the  covenants,  and  make  heaven  a 
mere  free-will  offering  from  God,  which  he  may  re- 
call and  change  at  pleasure,  are  radically  defective. 
Jesus  is  the  Surety  of  a  better  covenant,  established 
upon  better  promises."  "And  I  will  make  an 
everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the  sure  mer- 
cies of  David."  Into  this  beautiful  land,  thus 
guaranteed  by  the  promise,  covenant,  and  oath  of 
Him  who  cannot  lie,  the  children  of  the  covenant 
are  sure  to  enter.  From  Pisgah's  top  the  eye  of 
faith  traverses  the  earthly  Canaan,  type  of  that 
other  Canaan  which  lies  beyond  the  Jordan  of  death. 
On  its  farther  shore,  oh !  what  crowds  of  bright 
spirits  stand — all  arrayed  in  the  fine  hnen  which  is 
the  righteousness  of  the  saints — all  bent  forward  in 
earnest  expectancy  of  the  arrival  of  some  dearly 
beloved  friends  from  the  wilderness  of  a  sorrowful 
world.  When  lo  !  the  cold  flood  parts,  the  ark  de- 
scends into  the  dry  channel,  closely  followed  by  the 
hosts  of  God's  redeemed,  who  soon  clasp  their  now 
recognized  friends  in  the  warm  embraces  of  an  ever- 
lasting love ;  and  with  them  scan  the  heavenly  home, 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  155 

and  traverse  the  golden  streets  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem :  and  are  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain.  And  now  the  symbolical  ark,  and 
altar,  and  tabernacle,  and  all  are  gone ;  the  pillar 
of  fire  is  gone ;  and  the  smoking  column  is  gone ; 
and  the  laver  is  gone;  and  the  incense  altar  is 
gone;  and  the  table  of  shew-bread  is  gone;  and 
the  golden  candlestick  is  gone;  "And  I  see  no 
temple  therein:  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and 
the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.  And  the  city  has 
no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine 
in  it :  for  the  glory  of  God  doth  lighten  it,  and  the 
Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  "  Amen,  even  so  come. 
Lord  Jesus." 


Jerusalem,  my  happy  home, 

Name  ever  dear  to  me  ! 
When  shall  my  labours  have  an  end, 

In  joy,  and  peace,  and  thee  ? 

When  shall  these  eyes  thy  heaven-built  walls, 

And  pearly  gates  behold  ? 
Thy  bulwarks,  with  salvation  strong 

And  streets  of  shining  gold  ? 

0  !  when,  thou  city  of  my  God, 

Shall  I  thy  courts  ascend. 
Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up, 

And  Sabbaths  have  no  end  ? 

There  happier  bowers  than  Eden's  bloom. 

Nor  sin  nor  sorrow  know: 
Blest  seats,  through  rude  and  stormy  scenes, 

I  onwax-d  press  to  you. 


15G  THE   TABERNACLE. 

Why  should  I  shrink  at  pain  and  woe, 
Or  feel  at  death,  dismay  ? 

I've  Canaan's  goodly  land  in  view. 
And  realms  of  endless  day. 

Apostles,  martyrs,  prophets  there 
Around  my  Saviour  stand ; 

And  soon  my  friends  in  Christ  below, 
AVill  join  the  glorious  band. 

Jerusalem,  my  happy  home. 
My  soul  still  pants  for  thee ; 

Then  shall  my  labours  have  an  end, 
"When  I  thy  joys  shall  see. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  167 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

A  cot'rection — The  vicat'ious  nature  of  the  atoneinent,  and  its 
consequences. 

On  page  79,  there  is  a  small  error,  which  was  not 
detected  in  time  to  correct  it,  and  which  affects  not 
the  meaning,  but  only  the  mechanical  accuracy. 
"  These  corner  boards,  facing  the  east,  thus  consti- 
tuted a  bi-ace  and  support  to  the  sides  north  and 
south,  whilst  they  became  door-jambs,  of  eighteen 
inches,  leaving  the  door  or  gateway  into  the  build- 
ing ten  feet  and  a-half  wide."  It  ought  to  be 
twenty-seven  inches ;  that  being  the  width  of  each 
board.  Of  course,  the  space  of  the  gateway  remain- 
ing would  be  nine  feet,  and  the  four  apertures  made 
by  the  five  pillars,  and  including  their  diameter, 
would  be  but  two  and  a  quarter  feet,  and  not  "  two 
and  a  half  feet  for  each  of  the  four  doors,"  as  stated 
at  the  bottom  of  the  page. 

As  this  little  book  designs  to  be  expository  and 
didactic,  and  a  kind  of  compend  of  Christian 
theology  for  practical  use,  it  has  purposely  avoided 
any  extended  remarks  on  disputed  points.  But,  as 
the  brazen  altar  is  the  practical  starting-point  of  all 
the  Jewish  worship — as  without  its  perpetual  fire, 

14 


158  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

no  bloody  sacrifice  can  be  oiFered  up ;  no  sweet  per- 
fume can  arise  from  the  golden  censer  and  float 
upward,  drawing  the  hearts  of  the  worshippers 
heavenward ;  no  high  priest  can  enter  the  holy  of 
holies  ;  no  pious  heart  can  unburden  itself  by  laying 
his  hand  on  his  victim's  head  and  there  confessing 
his  sin  and  expressing  his  faith,  that  his  offering  is 
accepted  for  him  to  make  atonement  for  him — as 
without  this  fire  to  generate  it,  there  can  be  no 
active  force  to  put  the  entire  machinery  in  motion — 
it  seems  proper  to  close  with  a  brief  vindication  of 
the  grand  doctrine  taught  at  the  flaming  altar — the 
vicarious  substitution  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  law- 
place  and  room  of  his  redeemed,  and  his  full  pay- 
ment, by  his  sufferings,  of  the  debt  due  for  their 
iniquities  when  "  he  bare  our  sins,  in  his  own  body, 
on  the  tree." 

Referring  the  reader  back  to  Chapters  VIII.  and 
XVIII.,  and  assuming  that  he  accepts  the  exposi- 
tion, w^e  aver  that  its  results  cannot  be  declined. 
But,  if  Christ  suffered  for  us  as  a  vicarious  sub- 
stitute, it  must  have  been  because  he  was  such ; 
that  is,  because  he  put  himself,  and  the  Father 
appointed  him  to  be,  legally  in  our  place,  bearing 
our  responsibilities ;  because  he  w^as  our  surety. 
On  any  other  supposition  than  this,  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  account  for  the  fact  so  fully  asserted 
in  Scripture,  that  he  suffered  by  express  appoint- 
ment of  the  Father,  and  to  justify  that  appointment. 
Put,  if  it  be  true,  that  our  Lord  voluntarily  put 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  159 

himself  in  our  law-place  and  room,  so  that  he  be- 
came sin  [a  sin-offering]  for  us,  who  (personally) 
knew  no  sin,  then  inevitably  must  he  endure  the 
wrath  of  God  due  to  us.  Accordingly,  this  cup,  put 
into  his  hand  by  the  Eather,  could  not  be  taken  aw^ay, 
but  must  be  drunk.  This  is  what  we  mean  by  the 
assertion,  that  Christ's  sufferings  were  strictly  and 
truly  vicarious.  He  took  away  our  sins,  the  sins  of 
all  his  redeemed,  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself ;  so,  that 
they  never  can  rise  and  appear  in  judgment  against 
them.  And,  if  he  did  not  do  this — and  if,  in  conse- 
quence, their  sins  will  rise  in  the  judgment  and  con- 
demn them,  of  course  his  sufferings  did  not  cleanse 
them  from  all  sin ;  Christ  died  as  to  them  in  vain. 
There  is  no  stopping-place  between  the  vicarious 
nature  of  Christ's  sufferings  and  the  rejection  of  his 
entire  salvation.  If  he  did  not,  as  your  surety,  dear 
reader,  take  away  your  sin,  it  still  lies  upon  you 
and  will  take  you  away  into  everlasting  burnings. 

All  this  seems  exceedingly  plain.  The  perpetual 
fire  kept  it  for  ever  before  the  eye  of  the  Jewish 
believer.  The  smoke  of  the  brazen  altar  incessantly 
reminded  him,  that  access  to  the  holy  of  holies — 
type  of  the  heavenly  glory — there  is  none,  but  by 
the  blood  of  sacrifice,  not  his  own  blood,  but  that 
of  the  lamb  substituted  in  his  place,  and  accepted 
to  make  atonement  for  him.  But  the  believing 
Israelite  never  limited  his  view  to  the  lamb  and  the 
burning  altar,  and  the  tabernacle,  and  the  ark. 
The   eye   of  his   faith   ascended   with   the   smoke 


160  THE    TABERNACLE.    OR 

and  beheld  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  for  him. 
Nevertheless,  and  notwithstanding  all  this,  men 
there  are,  who  deny  the  vicarious  nature  of  Christ's 
sufferings  and  death.  They  hold  and  teach,  that 
he  did  not  in  any  legal  and  proper  sense,  suffer  the 
punishment  of  our  sins ;  that  he  was  not  so  a  surety 
as  to  become  responsible  for  his  people  when  they 
failed ;  that  his  sufferings  were  endured  to  give  an 
example  of  patient  submission  in  sorrow  and  anguish, 
and  were  inflicted,  as  a  governmental  arrangement, 
to  give  an  exhibition  of  public  justice.  But  now, 
if  the  design  was,  to  give  an  example  of  patience 
under  suffering,  and  if,  as  must  be  the  case  in  their 
view,  his  sufferings  were  not  at  all  of  the  nature  of 
penal  evil  and  from  the  curse  of  God ;  he  utterly 
failed,  for  he  cried  aloud,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me,"  whilst  the  culprits  on  his 
right  hand  and  his  left  gave  no  such  semblance  of 
impatience.  And  as  to  satisfying  public  justice,  the 
difficulty  is  still  greater,  for  how  is  public  justice 
met  ?  Does  public  justice  call  for  the  execution  of 
innocence  ?  If  the  infliction  of  excruciating  suffer- 
ings and  unutterable  anguish  upon  a  person  con- 
fessedly innocent,  who  never  transgressed  law  him- 
self, and  who  was  in  no  legal  sense  responsible  for 
the  sins  of  others — if  such  infliction  is  an  exhibition 
of  public  justice,  where,  out  of  hell,  or  in  it,  shall 
we  look  for  an  exhibition  of  public  injustice  ?  Oh  I 
how  they  blaspheme  who  charge  the  government  of 
God  with  such  an  exhibition  of  justice  !     But  now. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  161 

admit  the  vicarious  nature  of  Christ's  death ;  admit 
that  legally,  by  imputation,  "  he,  his  own  self,  bare 
our  sins  in  his  oayu  body  on  the  tree,"  and  all  is 
luminous  as  the  shekinah  itself.  Christ  had  as- 
sumed a  suretyship  for  his  redeemed :  they  failed, 
and  consequently  their  sins  were  laid  on  him,  and, 
therefore,  die  he  or  justice  must. 

Into  this  more  than  insane  philosophy  above  con- 
troverted, this  diabolical  justice,  men  most  probably 
have  been  driven  by  two  errors  of  seemingly  small 
importance.  First,  it  is  assumed,  that  at  the  judg- 
ment, no  sin  but  unbelief  will  be  regarded  as  the 
ground  of  damnation.  Unbelief,  under  the  gospel, 
is  the  damning  sin.  Unbelief  is  the  damning  sin ; 
not,  however,  because  all  other  sins  are  lost  sight 
of  and  escape  the  eye  of  the  Omniscient  Judge, 
but  precisely  the  reverse,  because  unbelief  spreads 
them  all  out  in  glaring  colours  before  the  dread 
tribunal.  Where  faith  in  Christ  is,  all  the  sins 
of  the  believer  are  washed  out  and  can  never 
appear  to  his  condemnation ;  and,  as  there  is  no 
other  fountain  adequate  to  this,  he  that  continues 
in  unbelief,  that  refuses  to  wash  in  this  fountain, 
passes  to  the  judgment  with  all  his  sins  upon  him. 
This  is  the  obvious  reason,  why,  under  the  gospel, 
unbelief  is  the  damning  sin. 

It  has  been  argued  from  this  erroneous  assump- 
tion, that  the  heathen  who  has  never  heard  the 
gospel,  and  who,  therefore,  could  not  commit  the 
sin  of  unbelief,  can  never  be  condemned,  or  at  least, 

14  * 


162  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

with  but  a  very  slight  condemnation.  And  this 
conclusion  is  logical  from  the  premise.  If  you 
admit  that  unbelief  is  the  only  damning  sin,  and 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  gospel  is  necessary  before 
a  man  can  commit  the  sin  of  unbelief,  it  will  follow, 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  gospel  is  necessary  to 
damnation.  Hence,  would  follow  the  corollary, 
that  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  is  a  great 
crime  and  a  sin  against  charity.  Something  like 
this  was  the  ground  taken  by  the  earlier  agents  of 
Britain,  at  Calcutta,  before  and  during  the  mission 
of  Claudius  Buchanan ;  and  their  position  was  well 
taken,  if  the  error  we  expose  is  not  an  error,  but  a 
portion  of  gospel  truth. 

But  the  basis  of  the  infidel  argument  is  a  glaring ' 
falsehood.  The  gospel  is  not  a  necessary  instru- 
ment indispensable  to  the  damnation  of  a  sinner. 
These  go  away  into  everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels,  because  they  have  sinned 
against  the  laws  of  God,  just  as  the  devil  and  his 
angels  did,  to  whom  no  gospel  was  ever  offered. 

The  second  mischievous  error  alluded  to  takes 
its  rise  partly  from  the  first,  and  partly  from  a  mis- 
construction of  certain  passages  of  Scripture.  As- 
suming that  some  knowledge  of  the  gospel  is  neces- 
sary to  work  the  sinner's  condemnation,  they  are 
easily  led  to  put  this  construction,  for  instance,  on 
Jno.  iii.  19:  "And  this  is  the  condemnation,  that 
light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  dark- 
ness rather   than  hght,  because  their   deeds  were 


THE   GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    MOSES.  163 

evil."  Thus,  they  ignore  the  latter  clause;  they 
lose  sight  of  the  evil  deeds  and  exclude  them  from 
all  share  in  procuring  condemnation ;  whereas,  they 
are  the  very  cause  of  the  unbelief  which  prefers 
darkness  to  light.  Hence,  because  men  could  not 
be  condemned,  as  they  suppose,  for  unbelief,  i.  e., 
for  rejecting  Christ,  unless  he  had  died  for  them, 
they  infer  the  atonement  must  be  universal ;  and 
then  appeal  to  such  general  expressions  as,  ''he 
gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all;"  " he  tasted  death 
for  every  man,"  "and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  They  do  not  con- 
sider, that  in  these  cases  the  object  is  to  rebuke  the 
Jews'  prejudices  and  efforts  to  limit  the  Messiah's 
work  to  the  natural  seed  of  Abraham,  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  the  Gentiles,  among  whom  are  scattered  his 
spiritual  seed.  The  contrast  is  between  the  natural 
and  the  spiritual  seed ;  Christ  gave  himself  for  the 
salvation  of  us  Jews ;  true,  says  the  Apostle,  but 
also  for  the  salvation  of  Abraham's  children  accord- 
ing to  the  promise,  who  are  spread  over  the  whole 
world. 

It  is  impossible  within  our  brief  space  to  give 
here  the  true  explanation  of  all  these  general 
expressions.  There  is  no  general  sacrifice  provided 
at  the  brazen  altar.  All  sacrifices  there  are  par- 
ticular. The  offering  of  the  individual  is  for  him- 
self, "to  make  atonement /or  /w'm,"  Lev.  i.  4;  or, 
if  the  head  of  a  family,  "for  his  household,"  Lev. 
xvi.     "  When  a  ruler  hath  sinned,  the  priest  shall 


164  THE    TABERNACLE,    OR 

make  an  atonement  for  him,"  iv.  v.  22,  26.  So,  on 
the  great  day  of  atonement,  see  Lev.  xxiii.  24,  &c., 
"  to  make  an  atonement  for  you  before  the  Lord," 
for  the  people  of  God,  specifically  and  particularly^ 
"to  make  an  atonement  for  Israel,"  "  for  all  Israel. 
In  short,  if  the  reader  will  take  the  trouble  of 
spreading  open  Cruden's  Concordance,  at  the  word 
atonement^  he  will  find  that,  in  all  cases  wherein 
the  object  of  the  sacrifice,  that  is,  any  person  or 
thing  for  which  atonement  is  to  be  made,  is  men- 
tioned, it  is  always  particular  and  never  general. 
No  sacrifice  is  set  forth  for  the  world  at  large,  for 
the  heathen,  for  mankind  in  general,  for  the  lost  in 
hell :  no  indefinite  atonement  was  ever  made  at  the 
altar  of  God. 

But  we  are  asked,  is  not  the  blood  of  Christ  suffi- 
cient for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind  ?  We  answer, 
certainly;  yea,  for  ten  thousand  sinful  worlds  like 
ours ;  and  his  sufi'erings  and  sacrifice  w^ould  be  the 
same,  if  only  one  sinner  was  designed  to  be  saved 
by  it.  Because  the  penalty  of  the  law  is  death. 
So,  in  human  governments,  if  a  hundred  men  unite 
in  murdering  a  single  person,  they  are  all  and  every 
one  deserving  of  death :  and,  if  one  man  murders  a 
hundred,  he  alone  dies  on  the  gibbet.  Why  this 
apparent  inequality?  Because  the  penalty  for 
murder  is  death — the  death  of  the  murderer. 

It  is  usual,  on  this  question  of  the  extent  of  the 
atonement,  to  say,  "  sufficient  for  all,  efficient  for 
the  elect;"  and  on  this,  to  base  the  general  gospel 


THE    GQSPEL   ACCORDING    TO    MOSES.  165 

call.  The  sufficiency,  I  have  just  affirmed;  but 
when  you  make  this  the  basis  -of  the  command, 
''  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labour,  &c.,"  you  change 
the  very  nature  of  his  sacrifice  and  its  results ;  you 
assume  that  his  death  did  take  away  the  sins  of  the 
non-elect;  for  how  otherwise  could  it  make  their 
sins,  and  especially  their  unbelief  inexcusable? 
And  this  is  the  very  design  of  the  position,  "  suffi- 
cient for  all,"  as  you  present  it.  But,  if  his  death 
took  away  the  sin  of  unbelief,  as  I  have  elsewhere 
observed,  and  all  the  other  sins  of  all  men,  why  are 
not  all  saved,  and  the  sentence,  'Hhese  shall  go 
away  into  everlasting  fire,"  blotted  from  the  sacred 
page  ?  No  !  Christ  did  not  take  away  and  for  ever 
blot  out  the  sins  of  those  in  hell,  as  this  argument 
for  general  atonement  assumes.  Nor  is  this  at  all 
the  ground  of  the  commands,  repent,  believe,  seek 
the  Lord,  &c.,  &c. 

The  gospel  call  is  properly  analyzed  into  a  com- 
mand and  a  ]jromise.  The  command  emanates  from 
the  king's  authority ;  the  promise  from  a  brother's 
love.  Accordingly,  the  evangelical  commission  is 
prefaced  thus:  ''All  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth;  go  ye,  therefore,  ifec."  There- 
fore he  ''  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  re- 
pent." Acts  xvii.,  30.  Obhgation  to  obey  the 
king's  authority  is  universal,  absolute  and  eternal. 
Satan  is  bound  by  it  as  much  to-day  as  before  he 
rebelled;  and  lost  men  on  earth  and  in  hell  are 
equally  bound  to  obey  God.     And  the  gospel  call 


166  THE    TABEKNACLE.  . 

is  first  a  command :  everywhere  it  addresses  us  in 
that  form.  "  Seek  the  Lord ;  turn  ye,  turn  ye ;  come, 
take  my  yoke ;   repent  ye;  believe  on  the  Lord." 

Moreover,  the  gospel  call  is  ]jromi8Sory.  "  I  will 
give  you  rest ;  ye  shall  find  rest ;  ye  shall  be  saved ; 
hath  everlasting  life  ;  shall  not  see  death ;  shalt  be 
with  me  in  paradise,  &c."  All  these  promises 
originate  in  love ;  and,  what  is  important  for  us, 
none  of  them  is  indefinite,  but  all  particular ;  none 
of  them  is  absolute,  but  all  conditional.  They  are 
all  addressed  to  the  believer,  the  penitent,  the  obe- 
dient who  submit  to  the  command-call.  To  none 
but  these  is  the  promise  sure.  In  this  sense,  faith 
and  repentance,  i.  e.,  holy  submission,  are  condi- 
tions of  salvation ;  without  them,  no  man  is  saved ; 
with  them,  no  man  is  lost.  For,  be  it  well  remem- 
bered, faith  and  repentance  are  here  not  subjectively 
taken ;  not  as  being  our  ivoj^ks ;  but,  as  being 
graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  king  commands  all 
his  subjects  to  return  to  due  allegiance ;  he  promises 
life  eternal  to  all  who  shall  and  do  return ;  he  sends 
his  Spirit,  who  works  out  in  the  soul  the  necessary 
conditions ;  then  the  promise  is  sure  to  the  day  of 
final  redemption. 

Our  prime  duty  and  privilege  is,  to  pray  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  If  ye,  then,  being  evil, 
know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  children,  how 
much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him."  Luke  xi.,  13. 
Amen. 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


Altar  of  burnt-offering,  55 — its  symbolical  meaning,  56 — its  consecration, 
121 — starting  point  of  all  Jewish  worship,  145. 

Altar,  golden  or  incense,  53 — Christ  as  intercessor,  54. 

Analysis  of  general  subject,  12. 

Ark  of  Testimony,  13,  44 — connection  with  altar,  141. 

Bezaleel,  the  Architect,  13. 

Bread,  unleavened,  47, 122, 146 — Show  do.,  for  priests  only,  147. 

Breast-plate  of  High  Priest,  72. 

Canaau,  type  of  heaven,  154. 

Candlestick,  50 — Christ  as  Prophet,  51 — its  relative  position,  144. 
Cherubim,   14 — Word  and    Symbol,   28 — identical   with   the  Zoa    and  the 
Seraphim,  30,  38 — and  Christian  ministry,  31,  32 — Mosaic,  39 — Paradisial,  41. 
Church  moves  westward,  153 — Organized  by,  108 — Court,  85. 

Desert,  traveller  in.  111,  133. 

EJpliod,  74. 

Faitlif  subjective,  does  not  justify,  21. 
Flaming  sword,  106. 

Croat,  scape,  139. 
Glory,  103. 

Gospel,  a  remedial  law,  128— Saves  by  fulfilling  law,  130 — call,  mandatory 
and  promissory,  165. 
Graces,  order  of,  123. 
Guilt,  135— laid  on  Christ,  136. 

Heatlien,  condemnation  of,  161. 
Holiness  requisite  in  ministers,  110. 
Jews'  error  in  limiting  salvation,  163. 
Justification,  26 — and  sanctification  inseparable,  27. 

Knowledg^e  of  gospel  necessary  to  damnation,  161. 

167 


1G8  INDEX. 

leaver,  Christ  as  purifier,  61 — its  position,  143. 

Laws  ceremonial  are  gospel  ordinances,  20 — Moral,  not  a  schoolmaster,  22 — 
not  a  negation,  25. 
Light,  symbol  of  mercy  and  truth,  125. 

Oil,  holy  anointing,  114— Odorous,  worship,  116. 

Pardon,  bought,  137. 

Penalty,  enduring  it  not  positively  meritorious,  27. 

Pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire,  102, 106. 

Population  of  Israel,  152. 

Priesthood — holy  garments,  66 — Origin  of,  69,  71. 

Promises  of  gospel,  conditional,  165. 

Purification,  118 — different  from  consecration,  119. 

Redemption  proper,  by  sacrifice,  60. 

Relative  position  of  tabernacle,  &c.,  98, 123, 140, 142. 

Rock  that  followed  Israel,  150. 

Sacrifices,  origin,  66 — philosophy,  58 — Christ,  140. 
Salvation,  none  out  of  church  invisible,  93. 
Shekinah,  105, 107,  111. 

Taljcx'nacle  and  its  court,  78— its  meaning,  87. 
Tables  of  stone,  15 — symbol  meaning,  17. 

Unbelief  the  damning  sin,  160. 

Vail  of  tabernacle,  81. 
Vicarious  substitution,  58. 

Wood  of  tabernacle  &c.,  14. 


BS11%.5  .T2J9 

The  tabernacle,  or  the  Gospel  according 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00046  0958 


DATE  DUE 


HIGHSMITH  #45230 


